What Does Employment-At-Will Mean in New York?

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New York is an at-will state, which means that New York State employees are considered at-will employees. With this, both employers and employees alike are given certain rights in the given employee agreements. Read on to discover what employment-at-will means and how a seasoned New York employee contact lawyer at Bell Law Group can help you understand this.

What does employment-at-will mean in New York State?

Being an employment-at-will state means that New York State employees are entitled to quit their job for any or no reason at all. You have likely heard of the practice of giving your “two weeks’ notice” before exiting from a job. However, this is merely considered a courtesy in New York State, and it is by no means a necessity.

On the flip side, this means that New York State employers are entitled to lay off or fire employees for any or no reason at all. With this, employers are allowed to ask employees to exit from their position immediately and without warning.

Are there exceptions to employment-at-will?

New York State’s law regarding employment-at-will may seem drastic. Though, there are critical parameters surrounding this statute. For one, an employer cannot terminate an employee for unlawful reasons. Such unlawful reasons usually fall under the umbrella of discrimination, such as terminating based off of race, religion, age, sexual orientation, disability status, pregnancy status, etc.

Secondly, an employer cannot terminate an employee for reasons outside of the terms of their established employee contract. For example, say that an employer has an established employee handbook. Included in this handbook may be specific reasons and procedures before the termination of an employee can take place (i.e., a written warning must be sent, an investigation must be conducted, etc). And so, if an employer does not adhere to the reasons and protocol that are outlined in this handbook, then they may be accused of breaching their contract with the employee.

Why do I need a skilled New York employee contract lawyer?

For the aforementioned reasons, it is essential that understand the terms of your established employee contract. If you have not yet signed your employee contract, you should consult with a competent New York employee rights lawyer. We will help you understand the parameters of your at-will employment.

Otherwise, if you have been terminated for reasons that go against your employment contract, then you should still retain our legal services. We will help you understand whether there was a breach in your contract and your eligibility for a wrongful termination claim.

All in all, we will do everything in our power to bring justice to your situation. Schedule your free initial consultation with our firm today. We look forward to working with you.

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