Define the term employment at will. How have court decisions and statutes affected "at will" employment over time? Where might a paralegal find information regarding his or her employer's policies on employment termination?

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Answer 1

Traditionally, employment relationships have been governed by the common law doctrine of employment at will. Under this doctrine, employers may hire and fire employees "at will"â€"that is, for any reason or no reason.
Today, courts have created several exceptions to this doctrine, and state and federal statutes now regulate some aspects of the employment relationship. Under federal law (and state statutes), employers may not refuse to hire job applicants, refuse to promote employees, or fire employees for discriminatory reasonsâ€"because of the employee's age, gender, or race, for example.
The employer's policy manual likely deals with the subject of employment termination. The policy manual will likely specify what kinds of conduct can serve as a basis for firing employees. The manual will also probably describe termination procedures. Most large law firms have special policies and procedures that an employee must follow with respect to claims of employment discrimination.