preview

Employment At Will Doctrine Is A Common Law

Good Essays

LEG 500- Law, Ethics, & Corp. Governance Week 5 Assignment 2: Employment At Will Doctrine Professor Lateefah A. Muhammad. November 8, 2015 Employment-At-Will Doctrine An employment-at-will doctrine is a common law that states an employer can hire, fire, promote, or demote an employee at anytime for any reason as long as there is a law or doctrine that does not oppose it. As an employer can fire an employee for any reason at any time, likewise an employer can quit a job for any reason at any time. ‘The economic philosophy of laissez-faire provided theoretical support for employment-at-will.” (Ingulli, 2012). All 50 states have established a variation of an Employment-At-Will Doctrine. The courts have recognized three major exceptions to the Employment -At-Will Doctrine which are public policy exception, implied contract and covenant of good faith and fair dealings. The details of each exception are detailed below: One exception to the employment-at-will doctrine is the Public Policy Exception. It is the most widely used exception. The termination violates an explicit, well-established public policy of the State. The majority of states accept only public policy expressed in state constitutions and statutes. Most states have adopted the federal exceptions, as well as adding their own individual state exceptions. An employer asks an employee to commit perjury would be an example of a public policy exception. The third exception is an implied

Get Access