@giujohn,
Once again your in my court Barney. Youre talking about "at will" employment. Under the law of the several states states"
The law in most states presumes that an employee is at-will unless the employee can prove otherwise. This means that unless the termination violates federal or state law, company policies, or an implied contract, there is very little that an at-will employee can do to protest a termination without a reason.
"
as a county mountie you probably had a contract and representation through some union. Most govt jobs are usually not governed by the "real world" anyway and I dont presume to fully understand how some doofus idiot town manager can retire on a pension worth 5 times his annual salary.
As for me,
I began in industrial research chemistry where I was a "lab rat" for two years and , going back to school to acquire two terminal degrees sequentially , I rose from instructor to tenured professorship in 4 years. My overseas research made me an attractive candidate for a small company to pick me up with a possibility of advancement. I grew them a mining and environmental company of over 12oo professionals in several divisions and several countries. After 25 years and rising as high as id go until someone in the family corporation died I said **** it and started two successful mining services companies of my own (and sold em to my selected partners who helped me grow the two companies).
In all cases I had to directly, or cause to hire , develop, promote, and sometimes terminate professional, often licensed engineers and scientists under laws of 18 states and several foreign countries. SO pardon me if I chuckle at hearing some admonition in ignorance from a non-military govt employee.(I assume youre not in the space progrm as a researcher or astronaut, are not in any of several research agencies(like USGS)
Back to my original point though, (Using your own xample of "At will"). Even were you to be wrongfully disemployed in an "at will" termination, does not abrogate any legal rights to seek relief (in the case that most of us work in, it would, perhaps, bring us to the table to negotiate a financial settlement if I felt that you could successfully prove your claim).