What is respondeat superior, and when does it impose vicarious liability on an employer?

• A. Employer liability for any conduct by employees, regardless of scope.
• B. Employer liability only for intentional torts by employees.
• C. Employer liability for employee actions within the scope of employment; liability attaches when the employee's conduct is within the scope of employment and authorized by the employer.
• D. Employer liability for negligent hiring, independent of employee conduct.

Answer: (C)

Respondeat superior means an employer can be held liable for harm caused by an employee when the employee is acting within the scope of their job. The key idea is that the conduct must be connected to the duties the employee was hired to perform and done in a way that advances the employer’s interests. When that connection exists—i.e., the act occurs during the course of employment and is within what the employer authorized or would reasonably expect—the employer bears liability for the employee’s torts, even if the employer didn’t directly cause the harm. If the employee strays far from work tasks (a frolic) or commits a clearly unrelated act, the employer’s vicarious liability typically doesn’t apply.

That’s why the correct choice best captures the concept: liability for employee actions that are within the scope of employment and aligned with the employer’s authorization or duties. The other options misstate the idea: liability for any conduct regardless of scope overgeneralizes the doctrine; liability only for intentional torts narrows it incorrectly; and negligent hiring describes a separate theory that focuses on how the employer failed to choose or supervise, not on the employee’s act within the scope of work.