{"id":764,"date":"2025-12-02T18:37:46","date_gmt":"2025-12-02T18:37:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pbspay.com\/news\/?p=764"},"modified":"2025-12-02T18:37:48","modified_gmt":"2025-12-02T18:37:48","slug":"what-is-at-will-employment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pbspay.com\/news\/2025\/12\/02\/what-is-at-will-employment\/","title":{"rendered":"What is at-will employment?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At-will employment means that the employer or the employee can end the employment relationship at any time, with or without notice, and with or without cause. It does not, however, allow an employer to terminate someone for an illegal reason, like their inclusion in a protected class or their exercise of a legal right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every state (except Montana) assumes the employment relationship is at-will unless there is a legal agreement in place that says otherwise. Assuming you want to maintain the at-will relationship with employees, we recommend including clear language about this in your employee handbook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Understanding At-Will Employment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At-will employment is a foundational concept in U.S. labor law that shapes most employer\u2013employee relationships. Under an at-will arrangement, either the employer or the employee may end the employment relationship at any time, for nearly any reason, or for no particular reason at all. This can be done with or without advance notice, and neither party is legally required to justify the decision. The flexibility of at-will employment benefits both sides: employees can leave a job that no longer fits their needs, and employers can adjust staffing as business demands evolve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n