Employment At-Will Exceptions by State
April 2008
|
State |
Public Policy |
Implied Contract |
Covenant of Good Faith & Fair Dealing |
|
Alabama |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Alaska |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Arizona |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Arkansas |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
California |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Colorado |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Connecticut |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Delaware |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
|
District of Columbia |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Florida |
No |
No |
No |
|
Georgia |
No |
No |
No |
|
Hawaii |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Idaho |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Illinois |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Indiana |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
|
Iowa |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Kansas |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Kentucky |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Louisiana |
No |
No |
Yes |
|
Maine |
No |
Yes |
No |
|
Maryland |
No |
Yes |
No |
|
Massachusetts |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Michigan |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Minnesota |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Mississippi |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Missouri |
Yes |
No |
No |
|
Montana |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Nebraska |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Nevada |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
New Hampshire |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
New Jersey |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
New Mexico |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
New York |
No |
Yes |
No |
|
North Carolina |
Yes |
No |
No |
|
North Dakota |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Ohio |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Oklahoma |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Oregon |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Pennsylvania |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Rhode Island |
No |
No |
No |
|
South Carolina |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
South Dakota |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Tennessee |
Yes |
No |
No |
|
Texas |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Utah |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Vermont |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Virginia |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Washington |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
West Virginia |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Wisconsin |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Wyoming |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Total |
43 |
42 |
20 | |
|
Sources
Kenneth G. Dau-Schmidt and Timothy A. Haley, “Governance of the Workplace: The Contemporary Regime of Individual Contract,” Comparative Labor Law & Policy Journal (Winter 2007).
Nadjia Limani, Note, “Righting Wrongful Discharge: A Recommendation for the New York Judiciary to Adopt a Public Policy Exception to the Employment-At-Will Doctrine,” Cardoza Public Law, Policy and Ethics Journal (Fall 2006).
Charles J. Muhl, “The Employment-At-Will Doctrine: Three Major Exceptions,” Monthly Labor Review (January 2001).
|
