Dismissal due to return of original post-holder

The return of a post-holder where an employee has filled the role on a temporary basis, for example due to secondment, maternity or sickness, can be a fair reason for dismissal. Whether or not it is fair will depend on all the surrounding circumstances, for example, whether it was clearly agreed at the outset that the arrangement was temporary. The dismissal is not a redundancy because the reason for dismissal is not a reduced need for employees. Instead it is a dismissal for “some other substantial reason” (Greater Glasgow Health Board v Lamont [2012] UKEATS/0019/12/B1).