Wrongful Termination and At-Will Employment in the District of Columbia and Virginia
As an employment lawyer, several times a week, I am asked whether an employer can fire an employee without a good reason. In the District of Columbia and Virginia, the answer is usually yes. That is because employment in D.C. and Virginia is “at-will” unless a contract or statute states otherwise, or unless a public policy exception exists. Employment “at-will” means that the employer or employee may terminate the employment relationship at any time, for any lawful reason, or for no reason at all.
Courts in Virginia and the District of Columbia have carved out “narrow” exceptions to the at-will doctrine for claims of "wrongful termination" or "wrongful discharge" in violation of public policy. The highest courts of the respective jurisdictions have expressed the public policy exception to the at-will doctrine as follows:
