Austin, TX asked in Contracts, Employment Discrimination, Employment Law and Legal Malpractice for Oklahoma

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

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…).

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