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Thursday, Mar. 12, 2026

Can employers fire workers for any reason in Wisconsin and nearly every other state?

Tom Kertscher / Wisconsin Watch, Wisconsin Watch
yes

At-will employment is the law in every state except Montana.

That generally means employees in every other state can be fired at any time for any reason.

Montana allows at-will termination only during an employee’s probation period. 

At-will also means employers can change the terms of the employment, such as wages or hours, with no notice.

There are at-will exceptions. 

Firing cannot be illegal. For example, an employee can’t be terminated based on discrimination. 

Also, employees who have a contract or are covered by union collective bargaining agreements are not at-will. Many government employees are not at-will.

Wisconsin has another exception, established by the state Supreme Court: A termination isn’t legal if it “clearly contravenes the public welfare and gravely violates paramount requirements of public interest.”

Other countries generally allow employers to fire employees only for cause, such as poor performance.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

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