| There is a large number of people who are | | | | As such, employers of at will employees may |
| employed in a company in a so-called at will | | | | terminate an employment for arbitrary reasons |
| scheme. It means that they have not signed any | | | | as long as they are not with unlawful and |
| formal or binding employment contract or have | | | | discriminatory purposes or motives. If you believe |
| not signed any kind of agreement in terms of his | | | | that you have been a victim of wrongful |
| or her employment with their employers. | | | | termination that is pretextual, you have the right |
| This being the case, the law of the state has | | | | to file a case against your employer with claims |
| implicit permission that their employment can be | | | | that their lawful firing is motivated with unlawful |
| ended at any given time, whatever occurs to | | | | discrimination. |
| their employers. | | | | 2. Exceptions on Public Policy - most states have |
| Meanwhile other employees have an employment | | | | public policy safeguards from employment |
| contract signed with their employers, with a | | | | discharge. There are various nature and availability |
| clause of "at will" to the condition that their | | | | of reasons for these public policy safeguards |
| employment may end depending on the | | | | usually depending on the jurisdictions. |
| employers' option. | | | | However, the underlying principle for these is the |
| Are you an "at will" employee? You may think | | | | common law or laws that have been launched |
| that you have no say whatsoever on whatever | | | | through a state legislature. These create implied |
| your employer would "will" for you, like ending | | | | public policy or even express a reason for it. |
| your employment without due process of the law. | | | | 3. Protections for Whistle blowers - the laws |
| You may think that filing for wrongful termination | | | | protecting whistle blowers can be regarded as |
| charges against your employer is null because of | | | | "public policy" statutory extension. If you find |
| the fact that you are an at will employee. | | | | yourself fired for reporting your employer's |
| Fret not. You and other "at will" employees in the | | | | unlawful activities or misconducts, then the |
| country are still entitled to some degree of legal | | | | whistleblower laws will protect you from being |
| protection from an employer's wrongful | | | | terminated wrongfully. |
| termination. You cannot be terminated for | | | | 4. Protections for contractual employees - even if |
| reasons that would violate the labor law and other | | | | you are an employee with no written |
| public employment policies. | | | | employment contract could look through the |
| Here are the following statutes or legislations that | | | | employee manuals or handbooks. You can use |
| strive to protect "at will" employees against | | | | some provisions from them as protection against |
| wrongful termination by employers. | | | | an employer's action ending your employment. |
| 1. Laws on Civil Rights concentrating on Pretextual | | | | 5. Other claims from the tort law - if you believe |
| Termination - This is an extension of the Civil | | | | that an employer committed actions like "invasion |
| Rights Act of 1964. It contains protections for | | | | of privacy" or defamation to justify terminating |
| employees against anti-discrimination. Employers | | | | you of your employment, then you can file a |
| cannot terminate an employee's work for reasons | | | | "personal injury lawsuit" against him or her to |
| of their gender, race, religion, skin color or country | | | | prevent said termination. |
| or nationality of origin. | | | | As an at will employee, you have to be vigilant |
| There are even legal protections added to | | | | against unlawful actions that would unjustifiable |
| prevent discrimination on employees for their age. | | | | and wrongfully end your employment. |