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Is Washington State an at-will employment state?
answer:
Washington has been an “at-will” employment state since at least 1928. See Ford v. Trendwest Resorts, Inc., 146 Wn.2d 146, 152, 43 P.3d 1223, (Wash. 2002) (referencing Davidson v. Mackall-Paine Veneer Co., 149 Wash. 685, 688, 271 P. 878 (1928); see also Prescott v. Puget Sound Bridge & Dredging Co., 40 Wash. 354, 357, 82 P. 606 (1905) (Mount, C.J., dissenting) (“where [an employment] contract is general and for an indefinite time, it is terminable at will.”)).
According to the at-will doctrine, “an employer can discharge an at-will employee for no cause, good cause or even cause morally wrong without fear of liability.” See id. (citing Thompson v. St. Regis Paper Co., 102 Wash.2d 219, 226, 685 P.2d 1081 (1984)) (internal quotation marks omitted). “Conversely, in the absence of a contract stating otherwise, an employee has the absolute right to abandon … [their] employment at-will.” See id.
However, there are three recognized exceptions to the general at-will employment doctrine: (1) Statutory; (2) Judicial and; (3) Contractual.
READ OUR RELATED ARTICLES
We invite you to read more of our articles related to this topic:
» Constructive Discharge in WA State*
» Effective Date For Constructive Discharge (WA State)
» Retaliatory Discharge (WA State)
» The Prima Facie Case: Discriminatory Discharge
» WA State Torts: Wrongful Termination in Violation of Public Policy*
» What is the Statute of Limitations for Wrongful Termination in WA?
» What Qualifies as Wrongful Termination in Washington?
» WLAD: The Discriminatory Discharge Provision*
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