b'What about employment agreements: An at-will employmentYou wont be fired for.: Bob worked for Titan Oil and Gas relationship is a contract of sorts, but it can be terminated byCompany, a giant oil production company. Titan had a policy either side at any time. That said, sometimes an employmentofprohibitingemployeesfromcompetingwiththecompany contract is entered for a specific length of time or an employerwithoutexpresswrittenpermission,sowhenBobgotan sets down a particular set of rules limiting the employers abilityopportunity to go in with his brother to open a gas station he to let an employee go. These agreements can be oral or written,asked his supervisor, who sent Bob an email back indicating with certain limitations. An agreement that specifically requiresthat Titan would not stand in his way. Years later, Titan changed morethanoneyeartoperformmustbeinwriting,andallthe policy to require approval from senior management and told limitations on at-will employment must provide in a specific andBob to drop his interest or be fired. Bob filed suit. What was the meaningful way that the employer has a restriction on its right tooutcome? Bob won. The company specifically provided a rule terminate the employee. and Bob followed it. The fact that the rule was later changed did Common Situations: not affect Bobs initial compliance with the rule at the time. Whistleblower who: The captain of the ship Devil May Care,What Should I Do:and owner of Angel Transport Company, discharged the bilgeGood: Review this section each time you let someone go as a tank of his transport ship in environmentally protected coastalquick check to be sure that your risk of suit is low. Remember, waters near Galveston. One of his crew discovered the act andformer employees will grasp at anything. You may not think confronted the captain, who, in turn, asked the employee to notthere is a claim there, but the employee may make it up. Be report the violation. The employee refused and the captain firedcareful in your consideration and, if you have doubts, check with him as soon as the ship landed. Is the employee protected? your lawyer for some guidance about managing your risks.No.Employees are protected from termination when asked to commit an illegal act. The exception to the at-will doctrine doesBetter: Follow the above advice and be sure that your employee not extend to a request not to report the illegal act of another. handbook provides that no change from at-will is created by it.The old employee handbook trick: Mary discovered a provisionBest: All of the above, plus, be careful about the language in in her employee handbook that promised employees would notany employment agreements regarding termination. Be sure be punished for reporting the negative or inappropriate acts ofyourofferlettersreiteratethatnoperiodofemploymentis their co-workers. Taking this to heart, and being a lifelong tattle- guaranteed, even if there is an annual salary.tale, Mary took to reporting everyone for everything. Mary could hardly get her work done she was tattling so much. This wore on the companys owner to a point she could no longer take it and fired Mary. Mary filed a lawsuit claiming that she could not be fired for reporting the acts of others. Did the court side with Mary?Not in this case. The employee handbook included a couple of key outs for the company. It stated the handbook could be changed at any time and that nothing in it could change the at-will relationship.24'