Unfair dismissal: Refusal to sign unreasonable restrictive covenant not fair reason for dismissal

In Forshaw and others v Archcraft Ltd, the EAT holds:

• The employment tribunal erred in holding that a dismissal for refusing to sign a contract of employment that contained an unreasonable restraint of trade clause was for "some other substantial reason".
• An employer cannot assert as a potentially fair reason for dismissal the fact that the employee refused to sign up to unreasonable terms.
• In the circumstances, it would have been reasonable to ask the employees to sign contracts with a reasonable restraint clause. Any dismissal for failure to sign such a clause would have been potentially fair.