Public policy. You cannot fire an employee for either performing an action that complies with federal or state laws or for refusing to perform an action that breaks a law. This reasoning for dismissal is considered wrongful termination and is not protected under the employment-at-will doctrine.
The employment-at-will concept is a legal philosophy that states that an employee can be fired at any time, the employee and employer relationship between each other is for an indefinite period; both parties are free to terminate their contracts at any point in time for any reason.
The possibility of career advancement and the freedom and flexibility to leave a position without reason or notice are the two primary benefits of employment-at-will. To take full advantage of these benefits, it's important to be open to outside opportunities that come your way.
At-will means that an employer can terminate an employee at any time for any reason, except an illegal one, or for no reason without incurring legal liability. Likewise, an employee is free to leave a job at any time for any or no reason with no adverse legal consequences.
The employer can give the employee notice before firing him, but he can also fire him without giving him any prior warning. An example of at will employment is an employer firing an employee for wearing a gray shirt to work one day, when gray is the employer's least favorite color.
At-will employment means you can quit or be fired for almost any reason. Right-to-work means you can work for a unionized employer without joining the union. The relevant laws vary from state to state and change over time.
Defenders of EAW are concerned with what ought to be legally permitted. However, the view that it ought to be legally permissible for an employer to terminate an employee arbitrarily is entirely consistent with the view that it is ethically impermissible for an employer to terminate an employee arbitrarily.
A severance agreement can be offered to the employee at termination. The employer can ask the employee to sign the agreement which provides them with a certain amount of salary (eg, 2 weeks for every year of employment) in exchange for full release of claims and a promise of confidentiality or nondisclosure.
What is at-will employment? The simple version is that employees can quit at any time for any reason or no reason, and companies can fire employees at any time for any reason or no reason.
Your employment with [employer name] is at will. This means your employment is for an indefinite period of time and it is subject to termination by you or [employer name], with or without cause, with or without notice, and at any time.