The dismissal of a Navy Commander over an indecent assault on a junior officer comes as no surprise to an employment lawyer.

Philip Wiig has been dismissed from the Navy after being found guilty of grabbing the woman's buttocks during a social event at the Devonport Naval Base in 2012.

Maria Berryman said these kinds of cases are becoming more common as women gain confidence in reporting inappropriate behaviour, especially from senior colleagues.

Ms Berryman said dismissal isn't out of the ordinary with this kind of allegation, but it comes down to having sufficient proof.

She said when weighing up dismissals, the question for employers is whether they've lost trust and confidence in the employee.

"The employers policies, whether it's defence force or otherwise, at times conduct is generally going to cross the line, and it really is important for employers to set examples as to what's right and what's not right."

Ms Berryman said in this case, the decision-maker's ruled that based on all the evidence presented, the employee can no longer be trusted.

She said these cases always need to be treated on a case-by-case basis.