At-Will Employment Issues (Federal Law)

Summary

This practice note will help guide an employer in identifying potential federal and nonjurisdiction-specific exceptions to the at-will employment doctrine. One of the signature features of employment law in the United States is the doctrine of at-will employment. This doctrine creates a rebuttable presumption that either party in the employment relationship can terminate the relationship, at any time, for any lawful reason, and without prior notice or entitlement to compensation. However, as discussed below, exceptions created by courts and statutory exceptions have placed several limitations on this presumption.