Is Alabama an employment at will state?

Squishypig

For all the Alabama employers out there, are you guys employment at will? I have been doing research for one of our franchises opening up in Alabama (I am in Louisiana) and everything I found said that they were an employment at will state. I even called their department of labor and had them fax over a statement saying that they were employment at will. The statement basically said that the state was generally an employment at will state, but some federal and state laws may effect the employment at will status of employee, which makes sense. After all, you can't violate something like Title VII and then cry "At-Will Employment!!!".

I presented this all to the new franchise owner and she said that some company in AL said that Alabama was not an employment at will state but that an employer has to have at least two written warnings before termination can occur. To me, this sounds like that company's particular policy, not something that they have to legally do (even if it is good business sense).

I just got off the phone with the franchise owner and she tends to frazzle me and make me doubt my own advice. I guess I just need a definitive yea or nea answer to this question. Thank you so much!

Johnette
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Parabeagle

We're an Oregon corporation, but we do have a property in Alabama. Trust me. It is an "at-will" state. What you're describing, as you say, sounds like the particular policies of a company, but there is nothing codified in Alabama law that requires two written warnings prior to termination.

Good luck!