At-Will Employment Agreement Form

As a business owner, using at-will employment can reduce your liability and give you more flexibility to terminate employees. Create an At-Will Employment Form today with our verified templates.

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• What Is At-Will Employment?
• At-Will Employment Exceptions
• At-Will Employment Contract Terms
• How To Write an At-Will Employment Contract
• At-Will Employment Contract Sample
• Related Documents
• FAQs

What Is At-Will Employment?

At-will employment allows either the employer or the employee to end employment at any time without a reason or notice.

However, an at-will employee cannot be let go for any reason such as disability, sexual or racial discrimination. In addition, the firing cannot be in a retaliatory nature or in violation of public policy.

This type of working relationship decreases the liability of both parties in the event that employment is terminated by either the employer or employee.

At-Will Employment Exceptions

Several exceptions to how an employer can terminate at-will employment exist. This section covers federal and state exceptions important when firing at-will employees.

Federal Exceptions

Federal laws prevent employers from firing at-will employees for these reasons:

• Discrimination: based on race, gender, religion, age, or national origin.
• Alien status: based on the immigration status of the employee (assuming they are legally allowed to work within the United States).
• OSHA requirements: workplace or other hazards reported to OSHA.
• Polygraph testing: employees cannot be required to take part in a lie detector test.

State Exceptions

State laws also provide exceptions that stop employers from terminating at-will employment under certain conditions.

The most common of these are as follows:

• Implied contract exceptions: if there is an implied contract between an employer and employee, even if there is no written document, then the employee cannot be fired. This implication typically arises from oral suggestions or employee handbooks describing termination policies.
• Good faith exceptions: employers cannot fire employees at-will when the termination is driven by malintent or bad faith. This is also known as the good faith and fair dealings covenant.
• Public policy exceptions: certain states have public policy exceptions to at-will employment, forbidding employers from firing at-will employees for reasons that involve the employee’s compliance with state policy (such as exercising their legal rights).

At-Will Employment Contract Terms

An At-Will Employment Contract should include various terms for it to be valid. These are as follows:

• Name of the employer
• Name of the employee
• Employee’s address, I.D number, and contact details
• Date of employment
• Duration of employment
• Work scope
• Compensation and perks
• Notice of termination
• Potential modifications
• Performance specifications
• Confidentiality or non-disclosure

How To Write an At-Will Employment Contract

Writing an At-Will Employment Contract involves several steps. Following these carefully ensures the document is legally sound and protects you from legal problems:

Follow these steps to write an at-will employment agreement:

• Find an at-will employment agreement template
• Introduce the employer and employee in an initial statement
• Add the terms of employment
• Include extra factors applying to the working agreement
• Define how intellectual property should be handled
• Document the main rules governing the working arrangement
• Insert space for the details and signatures of both employee and employer

At-Will Employment Contract Sample

Before writing your own at-will employment agreement, it’s helpful to look over an example of this type of form. This will familiarize you with how the document should look when completed and what it needs to include.

Related Documents

If you’re looking to create an at-will employment agreement, there are other related documents that may serve more of your legal needs:

• Resignation Letter
• Immediate Resignation Letter
• Non-disclosure Agreement
• Independent Contractor Agreement
• Employment Contract

FAQs

If you still have doubts about beginning your own at-will employment agreement form, there’s no need to worry. Explore our frequently asked questions to clear up any remaining questions and get started with your own document today.

What Does At-Will Employment Mean?

At-will employment means employers can dismiss employees for any reason without notice, and employees can quit anytime without a reason.

This type of working structure has grown in popularity in recent years as it affords more flexibility to both parties.

What Are the Rights of an At-Will Employee?

There are various state and federal exceptions to firing an at-will employee. These can range from rules against firing based on discriminatory reasons to public policy regulations. You are also not allowed to fire an employee following an at-will employment agreement that has an implied contract or for reasons stemming from bad faith.

What Are the Reasons to Investigate an At-Will Employee?

It is not necessary to investigate an employee before terminating their at-will employment. This is because they can be dismissed at any time for any reason as long as it is not against state or federal laws.

You are only a few steps away from your own At Will Employment Contract!

Preview of your At Will Employment Contract

This Employment Contract (hereinafter, the “Contract”), is dated as of _________ (hereinafter, the “Effective Date”), and is entered into by and between the following Parties:

_________, with a permanent address at _________, on behalf of _________ (hereinafter, the “Employer”),

_________ with a permanent address at _________ (hereinafter, the “Employee”).

1) _________ is engaged in the business of _________.

2) _________ desires to employ and retain the services of _________ according to the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth.

3) _________ desires to enter into such employment upon the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth.

In consideration of this mutual understanding, the Employer and the Employee (hereinafter, the “Parties”) covenant and agree as follows:

1. JOB TITLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1) _________ hereby employs _________ as a(n) _________.

2) _________ hereby accepts such employment, and agrees to abide by _________ and _________'s supervisory personnel rules, regulations, policies, and practices, including those concerning work schedules, vacation, and sick leave, as they may from time to time be adopted or modified.

3) _________ will perform the services described on the attached Exhibit A, which is made a part of this Contract by this reference.

4) _________'s title and responsibilities may be changed by agreement during the course of this Contract. However, the terms and conditions set forth in this Contract shall remain in full force and effect, unless otherwise specified by the Parties.

Best Efforts of Employee: _________ will at all times faithfully, industriously, and to the best of _________'s ability, experience, and talents, perform all the duties that may be required by the express and implicit terms of this Contract, to the reasonable satisfaction of _________. Such duties shall be provided at such place(s) as the needs, business, or opportunities of _________ may require from time to time.

2. PLACE OF WORK

_________ will primarily perform the job duties at the following location:

Indefinite Term: This Contract shall become effective on the _________ and shall continue to have effect for an indefinite term of years, unless otherwise terminated in accordance with the provisions of this Contract.

4. OWNERSHIP OF WORK

_________ acknowledges and agrees that all intellectual property and related material, including but not limited to any copyrightable works, ideas, discoveries, inventions, patents, products, or other information (hereinafter, the “Work Product”), performed under this Contract shall be owned by and belong exclusively to _________.

If requested by _________, _________ will provide and execute all necessary documentation to confirm or perfect the ownership of _________ to the Work Product.

5. TERMINATION

1) Employee's Termination: _________ shall have the right to terminate this Contract at any time, with or without notice, in accordance with applicable local, state, and federal labor laws.

2) Employer's Termination: _________ shall have the right to terminate this Contract at any time, with or without notice, in accordance with applicable local, state, and federal labor laws.

If _________ is in violation of this Contract, _________ may terminate employment without notice and with compensation to _________ only to the date of such termination. The compensation paid under this Contract will be considered _________'s exclusive remedy.

6. NOTICES

Any and all notices, requests, demands, or other communications to be given under this Contract must be given (i) in writing and (ii) personally delivered, mailed, or transmitted by electronic mail to the Party to whom such notice or communication is directed.

Notices will be deemed received when hand delivered, delivered by agent, seven (7) days after being placed in the post, postage prepaid, or three (3) days after transmission by electronic mail, addressed as follows:

Employer:

_________
_________
_________

Employee:

_________
_________
_________

Change of Address: Either Party may, from time to time, change its address by providing written notice to the other Party in the aforementioned manner.

Governing Law: This Contract shall be governed, construed and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the .

Non-Discrimination: The Parties shall not discriminate against any Employee or participant in the performance of the duties, responsibilities, and obligations under this Contract because of race, color, religion, gender, age, marital status, disability, political or religious beliefs, national or ethnic origin.

Entire Agreement: This document constitutes the entire agreement and understanding between the Parties, and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings, whether oral or written, with respect to the subject matter of this Contract.

Severability: This Contract will be enforced to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law. If for any reason any term or provision of this Contract is held to be invalid or unenforceable, such invalidity or unenforceability will not affect any other term or provision of it. However, the Parties shall cease performing such invalid or unenforceable provision and negotiate in good faith to replace such invalid or unenforceable provision with a valid, legal and enforceable one consistent with its original purpose.

Amendment: This Contract may be amended or modified as needed. However, any modification, variation, or amendment of it shall only be valid if made in writing and duly signed by the Parties obligated under the amendment.

Waiver Of Contractual Right: The waiver by either Party of a breach, default, delay, or omission of any of the provisions of this Contract by the other Party will not be construed as a waiver of any subsequent breach of the same or other provisions.

IN WITNESS AND AGREEMENT WHEREOF, _________, on behalf of _________ has executed this Contract with the consent of _________, given here in writing. This Contract is effective as of the date _________ above written.

By: ___________________________________ Date: __________________
_________
_________

By: ___________________________________ Date: __________________
_________

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