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Ongoing punctuality and performance issues gave an employer valid reasons to dismiss an employee, but its process was flawed because she had to respond to them "on the spot", the Fair Work Commission has found.

In unfair dismissal proceedings, Deputy President Thomas Roberts found the employer arranged a meeting to formalise the employee's dismissal, rather than to receive or consider any response she might have to its decision.

In October last year, International Capital Markets sacked the customer support executive, citing her "general inability" to fulfil the expectations of her role despite "repeated feedback and support", and her "persistent" punctuality issues.

It pointed to previous written warnings about her punctuality and communication, and said she'd failed to improve sufficiently despite being given assistance to do so...