Yes. You can get fired for no reason at all. Your employer does not need a reason to fire you. In most of the United States, employees are generally under ‘at-will’ employment. Unfortunately, as an “at-will” employee, you can get fired for any reason, or no reason at all. For instance, if your boss wants to fire you so that his daughter can take your position, then he can without consequence. In most cases, the employer will refrain from stating the cause of termination because of the potential legal repercussions. This explains why you hear the term “without cause,” or “without reason,” during an employee’s termination meeting. Often, there are a few exceptions when it comes to terminating someone from an at-will employment. Let’s take a look at the exceptions:

• An implied contract between an employer and an employee specifying the employer must have a good cause for terminating the employee.
• A written or oral contract specifying the employer must have a good cause for terminating the employee.
• Wrongful termination of employment may be considered illegal if it violates a public policy (For instance, discrimination or retaliation).
• Termination after a reasonable reliance on the employer’s job offer when the employer knows the employee had to quit school, move closer to the job, etc. to take the new opportunity.

Can you be fired for no reason at all?

There is no federal law that mandates an employer to provide an advance notice of termination. As a courtesy, many employers give advance notice of termination that lists the date when the employment will end. That said, you can get fired for no reason – from whims of the upper management to poor job performance, as long as the reason is not legally defined as discriminatory. Your employer will not provide the reason for terminating you.

Some employers do provide a notice of termination. This is common practice during layoffs when employers choose to provide employees with severance. Employees who have been fired can also get pay through the pay period or severance package. Then again, it’s a common practice amongst employers who’re driven by compassion. It is also practiced by those who wish to avoid lawsuits from a scorned, former employee.

Despite that no law necessitates it, many companies sketch a process for managing employee termination which includes a termination notice.

Does an employer have to provide notice of termination?

According to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), there is no law that necessitates an employer to provide a notice of termination or lay off to an employee. However, if an employee is terminated while under contract and is a part of a union or collective bargaining agreement, the employer must provide a prior notice of termination. In most cases, employers are required to give advance notice during mass layoffs, plant shutdowns or a major corporate closure.

Again, when you get fired from job for no reason. There is no law which necessitates the employer to give advance notice unless you’re covered by a union or collective bargaining agreement.

Check with your state Department of Labor for regulations in your location.

The post Can you get fired for no reason at all? appeared first on The HR Digest.

Source: New feed