{"id":1315009,"date":"2026-03-12T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/?p=1315009"},"modified":"2026-03-10T16:21:48","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T21:21:48","slug":"wisconsin-can-employers-fire-workers-for-any-reason-termination-at-will","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/2026\/03\/wisconsin-can-employers-fire-workers-for-any-reason-termination-at-will\/","title":{"rendered":"Can employers fire workers for any reason in Wisconsin and nearly every other state?","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"<span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\"><b>Reading Time: <\/b><\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> &lt; 1<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minute<\/span><\/span>\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:26% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"782\" height=\"409\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Wisconsin_Watch_fact_brief.jpg?resize=782%2C409&#038;quality=100&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1278996 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Wisconsin_Watch_fact_brief.jpg?resize=782%2C409&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 782w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Wisconsin_Watch_fact_brief.jpg?resize=336%2C176&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 336w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Wisconsin_Watch_fact_brief.jpg?resize=140%2C73&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 140w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Wisconsin_Watch_fact_brief.jpg?resize=768%2C401&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Wisconsin_Watch_fact_brief.jpg?resize=400%2C209&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Wisconsin_Watch_fact_brief.jpg?w=1200&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Wisconsin_Watch_fact_brief-782x409.jpg?w=370&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 782px) 100vw, 782px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p><em><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsinwatch.org\/\">Wisconsin Watch<\/a><\/em> partners with&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/gigafact.org\/\">Gigafact<\/a>&nbsp;to produce Fact Briefs \u2014 bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. <a href=\"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/2023\/05\/how-wisconsin-watch-checks-claims-for-its-gigafact-fact-briefs\/\">Read our methodology<\/a> to learn how we check claims.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-space-between is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0dfbf163 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Yes.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized wp-container-content-88a6062c\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gigafact-app-images.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/factBriefImage.jpeg?quality=100&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" style=\"width:150px\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>At-will employment is the law in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usa.gov\/termination-for-employers#:~:text=At%2Dwill%20employment,Under%20a%20signed%20contract\" id=\"https:\/\/www.usa.gov\/termination-for-employers#:~:text=At%2Dwill%20employment,Under%20a%20signed%20contract\">every<\/a> state except Montana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justia.com\/employment\/hiring-employment-contracts\/at-will-employment\/\" id=\"https:\/\/www.justia.com\/employment\/hiring-employment-contracts\/at-will-employment\/\">generally<\/a> means employees in every other state can be fired at any time for any reason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/archive.legmt.gov\/bills\/mca\/title_0390\/chapter_0020\/part_0090\/section_0040\/0390-0020-0090-0040.html\" id=\"https:\/\/archive.legmt.gov\/bills\/mca\/title_0390\/chapter_0020\/part_0090\/section_0040\/0390-0020-0090-0040.html\">Montana <\/a>allows at-will termination only during an employee\u2019s probation period.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At-will also means employers can change the terms of the employment, such as wages or hours, with no notice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are at-will exceptions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Firing cannot be illegal. For example, an employee can\u2019t be terminated based on discrimination.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Also, employees who have a contract or are covered by union collective bargaining agreements are not at-will. <a href=\"https:\/\/fedemploymentattorneys.com\/legal-blog\/at-will-employees\/\" id=\"https:\/\/fedemploymentattorneys.com\/legal-blog\/at-will-employees\/\">Many<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/employment\/wages-and-benefits\/how-does-due-process-protect-a-public-employee.html\" id=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/employment\/wages-and-benefits\/how-does-due-process-protect-a-public-employee.html\">government<\/a> employees are not at-will.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/wilawlibrary.gov\/jury\/files\/civil\/2750.pdf\" id=\"https:\/\/wilawlibrary.gov\/jury\/files\/civil\/2750.pdf\">Wisconsin<\/a> has another <a href=\"https:\/\/law.justia.com\/cases\/wisconsin\/supreme-court\/1983\/81-2024-9.html\">exception<\/a>, established by the state Supreme Court: A termination isn\u2019t legal if it \u201cclearly contravenes the public welfare and gravely violates paramount requirements of public interest.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ogletree.com\/insights-resources\/blog-posts\/termination-requirements-around-the-globe\/\">Other <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.papayaglobal.com\/blog\/termination-processes-around-the-world\/\">countries<\/a> generally allow employers to fire employees only for cause, such as poor performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/wisconsin\/comments\/1rofs3s\/friendly_reminder\/\">this one<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sources<\/h2>\n\n\n<ul><li>U.S. General Services Administration: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usa.gov\/termination-for-employers#:~:text=At%2Dwill%20employment,Under%20a%20signed%20contract\" target=\"_blank\">Termination guidance for employers<\/a><\/li><li>Justia.com: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justia.com\/employment\/hiring-employment-contracts\/at-will-employment\/\" target=\"_blank\">How At-Will Employment Affects Employees&#039; Legal Rights<\/a><\/li><li>Montana Code: <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.legmt.gov\/bills\/mca\/title_0390\/chapter_0020\/part_0090\/section_0040\/0390-0020-0090-0040.html\" target=\"_blank\">Elements Of Wrongful Discharge<\/a><\/li><li>Wisconsin Law Library: <a href=\"https:\/\/wilawlibrary.gov\/jury\/files\/civil\/2750.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">Employment Relations: Wrongful Discharge &#8212; Public Policy<\/a><\/li><li>Justia.com: <a href=\"https:\/\/law.justia.com\/cases\/wisconsin\/supreme-court\/1983\/81-2024-9.html\" target=\"_blank\">Brockmeyer v. Dun &amp; Bradstreet<\/a><\/li><li>Papaya Global: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.papayaglobal.com\/blog\/termination-processes-around-the-world\/\" target=\"_blank\">Employment Termination Around the World<\/a><\/li><li>FindLaw.com: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/employment\/wages-and-benefits\/how-does-due-process-protect-a-public-employee.html\" target=\"_blank\">How Does Due Process Protect a Public Employee?<\/a><\/li><li>FedEmploymentAttorneys.com: <a href=\"https:\/\/fedemploymentattorneys.com\/legal-blog\/at-will-employees\/\" target=\"_blank\">Are Federal Employees At-Will Employees?<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\t<div\n\t\tclass=\"wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles  wpnbha is-grid columns-2 colgap-3 show-image image-alignleft ts-2 is-3 is-landscape  has-text-color has-dark-gray-color\"\n\t\tstyle=\"\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t<div data-posts data-current-post-id=\"1315009\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"article-section-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span><a href=\"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/series\/fact-briefs\/\">Read More Fact Briefs<\/a><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t<article data-post-id=\"1314941\"\n\t\tclass=\"tag-data-centers tag-data-centers-watch tag-electricity tag-gigafact tag-hidert tag-mount-pleasant tag-pools tag-racine tag-water category-fact-briefs type-of-work-fact-check type-post post-has-image\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"post-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/2026\/03\/wisconsin-data-center-water-olympic-swimming-pools-microsoft-mount-pleasant-racine\/\" rel=\"bookmark\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Gigafact-energy-2.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-newspack-article-block-landscape-large size-newspack-article-block-landscape-large wp-post-image\" alt=\"Is a claim that a massive data center will use only 4 Olympic swimming pools of water per year accurate?\" data-hero-candidate=\"1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Gigafact-energy-2.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Gigafact-energy-2.jpg?resize=800%2C600&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Gigafact-energy-2.jpg?resize=600%2C450&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Gigafact-energy-2.jpg?resize=400%2C300&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Gigafact-energy-2.jpg?resize=200%2C150&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Gigafact-energy-2.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=370 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw \/ 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw \/ 12)), 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><!-- .featured-image -->\n\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/2026\/03\/wisconsin-data-center-water-olympic-swimming-pools-microsoft-mount-pleasant-racine\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Is a claim that a massive data center will use only 4 Olympic swimming pools of water per year accurate?<\/a><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .entry-wrapper -->\n\t<\/article>\n\n\t\t\n\t<article data-post-id=\"1315009\"\n\t\tclass=\"tag-at-will tag-employment tag-firing tag-gigafact tag-hidert tag-hiring tag-wisconsin category-fact-briefs type-of-work-fact-check type-post post-has-image\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"post-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/2026\/03\/wisconsin-can-employers-fire-workers-for-any-reason-termination-at-will\/\" rel=\"bookmark\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Gigafact-food-security.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-newspack-article-block-landscape-large size-newspack-article-block-landscape-large wp-post-image\" alt=\"Can employers fire workers for any reason in Wisconsin and nearly every other state?\" data-hero-candidate=\"1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Gigafact-food-security.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Gigafact-food-security.jpg?resize=800%2C600&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Gigafact-food-security.jpg?resize=600%2C450&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Gigafact-food-security.jpg?resize=400%2C300&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Gigafact-food-security.jpg?resize=200%2C150&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Gigafact-food-security.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=370 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw \/ 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw \/ 12)), 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><!-- .featured-image -->\n\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/2026\/03\/wisconsin-can-employers-fire-workers-for-any-reason-termination-at-will\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Can employers fire workers for any reason in Wisconsin and nearly every other state?<\/a><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .entry-wrapper -->\n\t<\/article>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/gigafact.org\/fact-brief-quiz\/wisconsinwatch\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"782\" height=\"440\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/take_fact_brief_quiz.ea0075f4-1.jpg?resize=782%2C440&#038;quality=100&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Think you know the facts? Put your knowledge to the test. Take the Fact Brief quiz\" class=\"wp-image-1300309\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/take_fact_brief_quiz.ea0075f4-1.jpg?resize=782%2C440&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 782w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/take_fact_brief_quiz.ea0075f4-1.jpg?resize=336%2C189&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 336w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/take_fact_brief_quiz.ea0075f4-1.jpg?resize=140%2C79&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 140w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/take_fact_brief_quiz.ea0075f4-1.jpg?resize=768%2C432&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/take_fact_brief_quiz.ea0075f4-1.jpg?resize=1536%2C865&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/take_fact_brief_quiz.ea0075f4-1.jpg?resize=1200%2C676&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/take_fact_brief_quiz.ea0075f4-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C577&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/take_fact_brief_quiz.ea0075f4-1.jpg?resize=1568%2C883&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 1568w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/take_fact_brief_quiz.ea0075f4-1.jpg?resize=400%2C225&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/take_fact_brief_quiz.ea0075f4-1.jpg?resize=706%2C398&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 706w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/take_fact_brief_quiz.ea0075f4-1.jpg?w=1600&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/take_fact_brief_quiz.ea0075f4-1-782x440.jpg?w=370&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 782px) 100vw, 782px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Yes. Every state except Montana has at-will employment. Other countries require termination only for cause.<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":782,"featured_media":1300459,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"single-feature.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"gigafact_has_fact_brief":true,"gigafact_remote_fact_brief_post_id":13823,"gigafact_remote_sync_timestamp":"1773309603","gigafact_remote_sync_status":"Success","gigafact_remote_sync_response":"{\"statusCode\":200,\"message\":\"Fact brief saved successfully\",\"post_id\":13823}","gigafact_has_been_published":true,"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"apple_news_api_created_at":"2026-03-12T14:07:58Z","apple_news_api_id":"17218b82-d670-4592-9c39-6fa4a02cfec7","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2026-03-12T14:07:58Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAD\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/w==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AFyGLgtZwRZKcOW-koCz-xw","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"newspack_featured_image_position":"hidden","newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_show_updated_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[6717],"tags":[19444,865,19445,6718,5117,3642,412],"partner":[],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"type-of-work":[3490],"coauthors":[7663],"class_list":["post-1315009","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fact-briefs","tag-at-will","tag-employment","tag-firing","tag-gigafact","tag-hidert","tag-hiring","tag-wisconsin","type-of-work-fact-check","entry"],"fact_brief":{"destination_url":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/2026\/03\/wisconsin-can-employers-fire-workers-for-any-reason-termination-at-will\/","domain_name":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org","factbrief_corrections":"","factbrief_details":"<p>At-will employment is the law in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usa.gov\/termination-for-employers#:~:text=At%2Dwill%20employment,Under%20a%20signed%20contract\">every<\/a> state except Montana.<\/p><p>That <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justia.com\/employment\/hiring-employment-contracts\/at-will-employment\/\">generally<\/a> means employees in every other state can be fired at any time for any reason.<\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/archive.legmt.gov\/bills\/mca\/title_0390\/chapter_0020\/part_0090\/section_0040\/0390-0020-0090-0040.html\">Montana <\/a>allows at-will termination only during an employee\u2019s probation period.&nbsp;<\/p><p>At-will also means employers can change the terms of the employment, such as wages or hours, with no notice.<\/p><p>There are at-will exceptions.&nbsp;<\/p><p>Firing cannot be illegal. For example, an employee can\u2019t be terminated based on discrimination.&nbsp;<\/p><p>Also, employees who have a contract or are covered by union collective bargaining agreements are not at-will. <a href=\"https:\/\/fedemploymentattorneys.com\/legal-blog\/at-will-employees\/\">Many<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/employment\/wages-and-benefits\/how-does-due-process-protect-a-public-employee.html\">government<\/a> employees are not at-will.<\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/wilawlibrary.gov\/jury\/files\/civil\/2750.pdf\">Wisconsin<\/a> has another <a href=\"https:\/\/law.justia.com\/cases\/wisconsin\/supreme-court\/1983\/81-2024-9.html\">exception<\/a>, established by the state Supreme Court: A termination isn\u2019t legal if it \u201cclearly contravenes the public welfare and gravely violates paramount requirements of public interest.\u201d<\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/ogletree.com\/insights-resources\/blog-posts\/termination-requirements-around-the-globe\/\">Other <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.papayaglobal.com\/blog\/termination-processes-around-the-world\/\">countries<\/a> generally allow employers to fire employees only for cause, such as poor performance.<\/p>","featured_image":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Gigafact-food-security.jpg?fit=782%2C440&quality=100&ssl=1","long_form_article_url":"","newsroom_name":"Wisconsin Watch","post_archive_url":"https:\/\/ghostarchive.org\/archive\/6NJ4f","post_date":"2026-03-12T05:00:00-05:00","post_id":"1315009","post_original_thread":"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/wisconsin\/comments\/1rofs3s\/friendly_reminder\/","post_slug":"wisconsin-can-employers-fire-workers-for-any-reason-termination-at-will","post_time":"2026-03-12T10:00:00+00:00","post_title":"Can employers fire workers for any reason in Wisconsin and nearly every other state?","post_yes_no":"Yes","is_local_angle":false,"publish_status":"publish","published_url":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/2026\/03\/wisconsin-can-employers-fire-workers-for-any-reason-termination-at-will\/","sources":[{"organizationName":"U.S. General Services Administration:","sourceName":"Termination guidance for employers","sourceUrl":"https:\/\/www.usa.gov\/termination-for-employers#:~:text=At%2Dwill%20employment,Under%20a%20signed%20contract"},{"organizationName":"Justia.com:","sourceName":"How At-Will Employment Affects Employees' Legal Rights","sourceUrl":"https:\/\/www.justia.com\/employment\/hiring-employment-contracts\/at-will-employment\/"},{"organizationName":"Montana Code:","sourceName":"Elements Of Wrongful Discharge","sourceUrl":"https:\/\/archive.legmt.gov\/bills\/mca\/title_0390\/chapter_0020\/part_0090\/section_0040\/0390-0020-0090-0040.html"},{"organizationName":"Wisconsin Law Library:","sourceName":"Employment Relations: Wrongful Discharge -- Public Policy","sourceUrl":"https:\/\/wilawlibrary.gov\/jury\/files\/civil\/2750.pdf"},{"organizationName":"Justia.com:","sourceName":"Brockmeyer v. Dun &amp; Bradstreet","sourceUrl":"https:\/\/law.justia.com\/cases\/wisconsin\/supreme-court\/1983\/81-2024-9.html"},{"organizationName":"Papaya Global:","sourceName":"Employment Termination Around the World","sourceUrl":"https:\/\/www.papayaglobal.com\/blog\/termination-processes-around-the-world\/"},{"organizationName":"FindLaw.com:","sourceName":"How Does Due Process Protect a Public Employee?","sourceUrl":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/employment\/wages-and-benefits\/how-does-due-process-protect-a-public-employee.html"},{"organizationName":"FedEmploymentAttorneys.com:","sourceName":"Are Federal Employees At-Will Employees?","sourceUrl":"https:\/\/fedemploymentattorneys.com\/legal-blog\/at-will-employees\/"}],"tags":[],"tip_id":0,"should_email_tip_submitter_on_first_publish":true,"post_author_email":"tkertscher@wisconsinwatch.org","post_author":{"display_name":"Tom Kertscher \/ Wisconsin Watch","first_name":"Tom","last_name":"Kertscher","middle_name":"","username":"TKertscher"}},"apple_news_notices":[],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/2026\/03\/wisconsin-can-employers-fire-workers-for-any-reason-termination-at-will\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Can employers fire workers for any reason in Wisconsin and nearly every other state?","url":"http:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/2026\/03\/wisconsin-can-employers-fire-workers-for-any-reason-termination-at-will\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/2026\/03\/wisconsin-can-employers-fire-workers-for-any-reason-termination-at-will\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Gigafact-food-security.jpg?fit=140%2C79&quality=100&ssl=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Gigafact-food-security.jpg?fit=1920%2C1080&quality=100&ssl=1"},"articleSection":"Fact Briefs","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Tom Kertscher \/ Wisconsin Watch"}],"creator":["Tom Kertscher \/ Wisconsin Watch"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Wisconsin Watch","logo":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/ww-logo-footer-1.png"},"keywords":["at will","employment","firing","gigafact","hidert","hiring","wisconsin"],"dateCreated":"2026-03-12T10:00:00Z","datePublished":"2026-03-12T10:00:00Z","dateModified":"2026-03-12T10:00:00Z"},"rendered":"<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"wp-parsely-metadata\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"headline\":\"Can employers fire workers for any reason in Wisconsin and nearly every other state?\",\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/wisconsinwatch.org\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/wisconsin-can-employers-fire-workers-for-any-reason-termination-at-will\\\/\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/wisconsinwatch.org\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/wisconsin-can-employers-fire-workers-for-any-reason-termination-at-will\\\/\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/wisconsinwatch.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/11\\\/Gigafact-food-security.jpg?fit=140%2C79&quality=100&ssl=1\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/wisconsinwatch.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/11\\\/Gigafact-food-security.jpg?fit=1920%2C1080&quality=100&ssl=1\"},\"articleSection\":\"Fact Briefs\",\"author\":[{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Tom Kertscher \\\/ Wisconsin Watch\"}],\"creator\":[\"Tom Kertscher \\\/ Wisconsin Watch\"],\"publisher\":{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"name\":\"Wisconsin Watch\",\"logo\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wisconsinwatch.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/02\\\/ww-logo-footer-1.png\"},\"keywords\":[\"at will\",\"employment\",\"firing\",\"gigafact\",\"hidert\",\"hiring\",\"wisconsin\"],\"dateCreated\":\"2026-03-12T10:00:00Z\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-03-12T10:00:00Z\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-12T10:00:00Z\"}<\/script>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/wisconsinwatch.org\/p.js"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Gigafact-food-security.jpg?fit=1920%2C1080&quality=100&ssl=1","acf":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7SEfu-5w5P","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Wisconsin Watch","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org","push-errors":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"link","format":"url"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1315009","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/782"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1315009"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1315009\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1315015,"href":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1315009\/revisions\/1315015"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1300459"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1315009"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1315009"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1315009"},{"taxonomy":"partner","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/partner?post=1315009"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=1315009"},{"taxonomy":"type-of-work","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/type-of-work?post=1315009"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=1315009"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}