Q: Hello! I run a small business in OK teaching out of a home and am needing to let an employee go. I need help legally!

If the employee signed an at-will agreement, does that mean I can let them go without explanation? The reason is bc they are causing dissent among staff but there is no real way to prove it. I cannot say they are lying without proof but we know they are due to other facts. Can we fire them for lying? Or insubordination if we don’t have proof? Or can we simply let them go and say it is not a good fit for the company without giving an explanation. We are worried they will sue for wrongful termination.

1 Lawyer Answer
Charles Watts
Charles Watts
Answered
  • OKLAHOMA CITY, OK
  • Licensed in Oklahoma

A: Regardless of good cause or not, you can still be sued. That doesn’t mean the other person will win but you still have to defend it. As far as Oklahoma is concerned we are an at-will state meaning you can terminate an employee at will, so long as it does not fall under the discrimination factors (age, race, religion, etc…).

Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.

The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.

Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.