As an Ohio employer, you probably know that the state considers employees who are working without a contract or who aren’t under a collective bargaining agreement to be “at-will” employees. That means that you can essentially fire them for almost any reason that isn’t discriminatory. In turn, the employees don’t owe you any particular duty to remain on the job — which means they can decide to simply quit for any reason.
Sounds good, right? In some respects, it is. Neither employees nor their employers are locked into a working relationship.
However, not everything about at-will employment is beneficial for employers. Sometimes, having a contract with an employee is actually a far wiser course of action. Consider this:
For some employers, at-will employees do make sense — but no two companies or industries are exactly alike. If your company needs to hold on to talent when they see it, a contractual agreement may be smarter.
The best way to avoid a contract dispute isn’t just to eschew contracts altogether. A well-drafted contract can often prevent them from starting.
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