Can I fire an at-will employee in Florida?

As a business owner, your employees are integral to operations. However, the reality is that most employees don’t stick around forever, and every company has some sort of staff turnover.

Florida operates based on at-will employment. This means that employers can terminate employees at any time without reason or notice. This law also gives employees the right to quit without providing a reason or notice.

Essentially, you can fire an at-will employee without notice or reason, but there are some exceptions.

Exceptions to the rule

The first exception may be if there is an employment contract that specifically states a guaranteed period of employment. For example, if the contract states that the employee will be hired for a six-month term without early termination, then it may be a breach of contract if they are fired without cause.

Your employees are also protected on a federal basis from any form of discrimination or retaliation. Thus, you cannot fire your employee on the grounds of protected characteristics, including:

• Race
• Ethnicity
• Disability
• Sexual Orientation
• Gender
• Age
• Marital status

Workers also cannot be fired for asserting their legal rights. For example, if an employee complains about not being paid the minimum wage, or about unsafe working conditions, you cannot fire them.

Before firing a worker, it is always best to double-check where you stand legally. We help businesses with a host of employment issues, contact us today for a consultation.