title: Employment-at-Will: guidelines for health care managers.
abstract: Employment-at-will is a doctrine that allows an employee or employer to terminate the employment relationship at any time for any reason. This doctrine has eroded over time with the enactment of federal legislation that gives workers job protection. Moreover, various states recognize 3 major exceptions to the doctrine. This article examines the historical development of employment-at-will, discusses the pros and cons of at-will employment, describes the exceptions to the doctrine, and discusses at-will employment issues in the health care industry.
authors.affiliation: Department of Management and International Business, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC 28723, USA. kinard@wcu.edu
authors.forename: Jerry
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kinard
authors.forename: Brian R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Kinard
mesh_terms: D004651:Employment / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006270:Health Facility Administrators; D006801:Humans; D014481:United States