Which legal principle holds employers responsible for the actions of their employees while performing their job duties?

The correct answer is the principle of vicarious liability, which establishes that employers can be held responsible for the actions of their employees when those actions occur within the scope of their employment. This legal doctrine is rooted in the concept that employers are responsible for the conduct of their employees while they are carrying out their job responsibilities.

The rationale behind vicarious liability is that employers benefit from the work performed by their employees and should therefore share the legal burden for any wrongful acts those employees commit during their employment. This principle helps ensure that victims have a means of compensation, as employers generally have more resources than individual employees.

The other choices, while related to liability, do not convey the same principle. Respondeat superior is often used interchangeably with vicarious liability, but it specifically refers to the employer's liability for acts performed by employees in the course of their employment. Joint liability refers to the situation where two or more parties are held liable for the same act, and individual liability pertains to holding a person accountable for their own actions rather than those of another. Vicarious liability specifically focuses on the employer's accountability for the actions of their employees during job-related activities.