What is "at-will" employment?

"At-will" employment refers to the legal doctrine under which either the employer or the employee can terminate the employment relationship at any time, for any reason, or for no reason at all, as long as the reason is not illegal. This means that employers are allowed to let go of employees without needing to provide a justification or notice, and employees are free to resign without the obligation to provide prior notice, except where they have specific contractual obligations.

In this context, the correct answer highlights the fundamental nature of at-will employment—the ability for employers to terminate employees without cause. This is an important concept in employment law, as it establishes a baseline assumption regarding the employment relationship unless modified by specific agreements or employment contracts that stipulate otherwise.