I regularly field calls from small business owners who describe a problem employee to me and then ask, “Do I have good grounds to terminate the employee?” Many such callers are surprised when I explain to them that, in North Carolina, businesses technically don’t need any grounds for terminating an employee. That is because North Carolina adheres to the doctrine of employment-at-will.
Employment at Will: What it means for employers
North Carolina employers are free to terminate employees for a good reason, a bad reason, or no reason at all. Taken to its literal extreme, I explain to clients, this means that if you have an employee show up to work with an ugly tie, you are perfectly within your legal right to tell him, “Your tie is ugly. Pack your things. You’re fired!” Of course, such a termination would be terribly unfair. It would also be terribly foolish. But it wouldn’t be illegal.
Exceptions to the Rule
Like any good rule, however, the employment-at-will doctrine has exceptions – lots of them. For instance, under various state and federal laws, it is illegal to terminate employees because of:
Affordable Housing Investors Buy Lakeside Villas In $29M Deal
Staff Reports
-
Jan 26, 2023
|
|
Work Continues On Covey, Envisioned As Midtown’s Neighborhood Nest
Miriah Hamrick
-
Jan 25, 2023
|
|
The Half Takes A Bite Out Of New Markets With Second Location
Miriah Hamrick
-
Jan 25, 2023
|
|
City To Begin Due Diligence On Potential Thermo Fisher Building Purchase
Johanna F. Still
-
Jan 25, 2023
|
|
Novant NHRMC Unveils Its Neurosciences Institute
Staff Reports
-
Jan 25, 2023
|
Plans for major improvements fell by the wayside, delayed by life and the home’s overwhelming degree of deterioration, which placed the prop...
Many industries have started to recover from the roiling effect the pandemic had on the labor market, but nearly three years after the first...
With more than 15 years of experience in the wood chip industry, Taner Basaga has maintained key relationships with loggers in the region. “...
The 2023 WilmingtonBiz: Book on Business is an annual publication showcasing the Wilmington region as a center of business.