Lack of capability caused by incompetence or poor performance is a potentially fair reason for dismissal. Lack of capabilty can also be caused by ill-health which is covered separately under Absence and sickness .
Incompetence means a lack of "skill, aptitude or any other mental quality" on the part of an employee. It will occur if a new employee does not measure up to the required job, or a person is promoted to a job that requires new skills he may not have.
Although it is possible to dismiss fairly for poor performance, this can only be done after a full, fair and reasonable performance management procedure has been carried out.
This section contains guidance on the process to follow and links to other practical resources.