What's happening to the at-will employment doctrine?
The at-will doctrine has been the bedrock of employment law in the
United States, guaranteeing management the right to pick its
team. Employment practitioners are familiar with the trope
“The Company is an at-will employer. The Company or the
employee may terminate the employment relationship at any time, for
any reason or no reason, with or without prior
notice.” To that end, companies routinely recite
their at-will policy in applications for employment and employment
handbooks to reinforce the importance of the policy.
The City of New York has now broken the mold. On December
17, 2020, the New York City Council passed an ordinance requiring large fast food
businesses to have cause to terminate a worker. Mayor de
Blasio supports this move and is expected to sign the ordinance
into law shortly. When the law takes effect 180 days later,
covered fast-food employers must demonstrate that once a worker
