Employees and There Rights

There are exceptions to the employment at will doctrine including if the employee is covered under a collective bargaining agreement or has an employment contract, if discrimination is involved in the termination, if public policy is violated, or if company policy states guidelines for termination.

Employees do have rights when their job is terminated, including contract rights, company policy, and statutory rights provided by federal and state law. There is information available on employee rights that will help employees understand what they are entitled to and to get assistance if they believe they have been discriminated against. Employment is an area that every individual will eventually deal with at some point in time because of the need to support one's self and his or her family. The topic of this paper is about the proper ethical treatment of the hiring and firing of employees. According to Werhane, employment at will (EAW) can be defined as a rule that states "when employees are not specifically covered by union agreements, legal statute, public policy, or contract, employers may dismiss their employees at will... for good cause, for no cause, or even for causes morally wrong, without being thereby guilty of legal wrong. At the same time, at will employees enjoy rights parallel to employer prerogatives, because employees may quit their jobs for any reason whatsoever without having to give any notice to their employers" (Werhane pg. 266). The topic in question is whether it is morally justifiable to practice EAW in our current economic situation and whether it is equal on both sides. I believe the answer to this question is that it is morally justifiable to practice EAW in the private sector because EAW maintains a critical balance between the freedoms of employers and employees. In the article, "In Defense of the Contract at Will," the au