Employment-At-Will

Employment-at-will is a legal doctrine recognized under U.S. labor law that asserts that both employers and employees have the right to terminate the employment relationship at any time and for almost any reason or no reason at all. This is because the employment relationship in the United States is viewed as a voluntary relationship between the employer and the employee. The United States is virtually the only developed country globally that generally applies the employment-at-will doctrine as a default rule. While most U.S. states follow the employment-at-will doctrine, there has been some movement toward the international standard of “just cause” terminations, where employers have to comply with a permissible basis for termination, provide reasonable notice, and follow due process procedures. Employment-at-will is a controversial employment ...