I was terminated in an “at will” state today, what are my rights?

Get Legal Help Today

Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save

secured lock Secured with SHA-256 Encryption

I was terminated in an “at will” state today, what are my rights?

My boss told me, however, the position was actually eliminated last Friday but he said that if it wasn’t eliminated he was going to fire me for misconduct. There is no documentation of said misconduct on file. He only references my last review 7 months ago – a one-sided, no chance for discussion review. Can he tell me he was going to fire me even if the Board eliminated the position? Also, can I demand he prove “misconduct”? Finally, he didn’t have any paperwork or anything else for me to sign at the time of termination. Is this legal? I had to ask for a letter

Asked on July 2, 2012 under Employment Labor Law, Iowa

Answers:

SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 11 years ago | Contributor

Employment at will means exactly what it sounds like: your employment is at the will--or better yet, the "whim"--of your employer. Your employer may terminate you at any time, for any reason whatsoever--which means even if you did nothing wrong--without warning, notice, or prior documentation; the employer is not required to give you any paperwork at or after termination, and is not even required to explain its reasoning.


IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.

Get Legal Help Today

Find the right lawyer for your legal issue.

secured lock Secured with SHA-256 Encryption