Practicing for 20+ years Austin Employment Lawyer and Houston Labor Attorney Jack Nichols fights against discrimination, retaliation, harassment and hostile work environments.
What is “At-Will” Employment or an “At-Will” Employee?**
Generally, in absence of a contract, private employment in the State of Texas is considered to be “at will.” This means that a private employer can fire an employee for almost any reason, or no reason at all. Similarly, an employee can quit for any reason, or no reason at all. However, there are exceptions to the “at-will” rule which have been created by state and federal statutes and common law which make it illegal to fire an employee under certain circumstances. These include, but are not limited to situations when the motive for terminating an employee is based in discrimination, retaliation and/or other illegal factors, many of which are discussed elsewhere on this website. Please visit the Homepage for a non-exclusive list of examples.
What is Wrongful Termination?**