| In the United States, at-will employment defines a | | | | reasons, wrongful termination lawsuits may result for |
| working relationship in which either party can break the | | | | the employer. Other reasons a company may not fire |
| employment agreement without liability. This doctrine | | | | an at-will employee include refusing to commit illegal |
| assumes there was no explicit contract between the | | | | actions, family or medical leave, and not following the |
| employer and employee and that the employer does | | | | stated termination procedures. Most employers have |
| not belong to a union. The document officially states | | | | an explicit method of firing workers, outlined in a |
| "the employer is free to discharge individuals "for good | | | | company handbook or manual. If these steps are not |
| cause, or bad cause, or no cause at all," and the | | | | followed, a wrongful termination case may be in store. |
| employee is equally free to quit, strike, or otherwise | | | | The idea of at-will employment originated in Horace |
| cease work." | | | | Gray Wood's 1877 discourse on master-servant |
| This policy theoretically reduces job security, as | | | | relations. His idea proposed it was slaves' responsibility |
| employers can terminate a position for any reason, or | | | | to prove an express contact existed between master |
| even no reason at all. A company is free to fire | | | | and slave. From this point, the concept of employee |
| workers en masse if diminishing profits began to eat | | | | discharge without a reason and at-will employment |
| away at the employer's sustainability. Other negative | | | | was born. This rule was initially adopted by all U.S. |
| behaviors, such as workplace bullying, can occur | | | | states. It was not until 1959 that the first legal exception |
| because of the influence of an environment of fear | | | | to the idea of at-will employment was created. Since |
| and job insecurity created by at-will employment. | | | | that point in history, more exceptions and technicalities |
| However, several exceptions to the at-will doctrine do | | | | have added to the law, although the burden of proving |
| exist. Blatant, unlawful discrimination against employees | | | | wrongful termination still rests with the employee. |
| because of factors such as age, race, religion, national | | | | Protective laws for employees include the Equal Pay |
| origin, pregnancy, or disability status resulting in | | | | Act of 1963, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act |
| termination is prohibited under the doctrine. If an | | | | of 1967, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of |
| employee was let go because of one of these | | | | 1990. |