Which describes constructive dismissal?

• A. Employer's performance improvement plan with adequate support.
• B. Temporary layoff with full pay.
• C. Employer's conduct breaches the implied term of trust and confidence, leading to employee resignation or civil claim.
• D. Employee resigns for personal reasons.

Answer: (C)

Constructive dismissal happens when the employer’s actions breach the contract’s implied term of trust and confidence, so badly that the working relationship is fundamentally broken and the employee is entitled to resign as if the employer had dismissed them. The key idea is a repudiatory breach by the employer that leaves the employee with no reasonable choice but to treat the contract as terminated, or to pursue a civil claim for breach. In this case, the employer’s conduct breaches that implied term, leading the employee to resign or seek redress, which is precisely what constructive dismissal describes. The other scenarios don’t fit because they involve constructive steps to support performance, temporary arrangements that don’t end the contract, or resignation for personal reasons not caused by the employer’s breach.