An at-will employment lawyer may be considered as an attorney who is well versed in the legal ramifications of at-will employment
. When the employee does not belong to a union or has not signed a contract of employment he or she is said to be an at-will employee. This means that he or she can be fired with no just cause and can also leave the position without due notice.
However though no contract exists there are still restrictions on the reasons that may be used for terminating an employee's position. In most states an employer cannot get rid of an employee because of race, sex, age or disability. There are even some states that do not condone the discrimination of employees based on marital status or sex. The employer is within his or her rights to terminate employment when downsizing is being performed, when the employee is unable to do the job or irritating, when the employee violates company policy, when the probationary period is completed and no stable offer of employment was promised and if or when a personal problem affects the employee's performance.
In most situations where an at-will employee is fired an identified reason is outlined by the employer to avoid any potential law suits. For this reason at-will employment attorneys are essential to both employee and employer. Both parties are therefore able to establish, through legal counsel, what is truly within their rights.