Ohio's "Employment-At-Will" Doctrine and What It Means To You

Unless you have your own written employment contract or you work under a union contract of some sort or you are protected by civil service laws, people are employed "at-will" in Ohio. This means you can be fired and the terms and conditions of your employment can be modified with or without cause, with or without notice, at any time. Most times, this principle works to the employer's advantage, not the employee's.

Recourse For "At-Will" Employees

There are some exceptions to the "employment-at-will" doctrine that make employers liable for so-called "wrongful discharge" or other violations of the law. For example, an employer may not discipline you when a determining factor in the decision to discipline is rooted in the employee's age, sex, race, color, creed, religion, national origin, handicapped status, or the fact the employee has "blown the whistle" on the employer's violation of certain laws or has taken the employer to task over a worker's compensation or occupational health or safety claim. Also, no employer may treat you any differently in retaliation for your bringing any of these types of actions.

In addition to discrimination claims, an experienced employment lawyer can help you determine if you have a claim for "wrongful discharge." See the "Specialty Areas" section of this web site for more details.