At Will Employment

New York is an “at will employment” state. In Winiarski v. Butler, 2021 NY Slip Op 07534 (N.Y. App. Div. 1st Dept. Dec. 28, 2021), the court unanimously affirmed the dismissal of plaintiff’s tort claims allegedly arising from plaintiff’s termination. It explained: New York does not recognize the tort of wrongful discharge for at-will employees, and…

Read More Terminated At-Will Employee’s Defamation, Tortious Interference Claims Properly Dismissed
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In Williams v. Rhythm of Life Corp., No. 652707/2020, 2021 WL 143487, 2021 N.Y. Slip Op. 30139(U) (N.Y. Sup Ct, New York County Jan. 14, 2021), the court, inter alia, denied defendant’s motion to dismiss plaintiff’s breach-of-contract claim arising from his alleged wrongful termination. In sum, in this case plaintiff asserts “that the defendant wrongfully…

Read More Dance Teacher Stated Claim For Breach of Contract Following Termination For Allegedly False Accusations of Sexual Harassment
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In Hodge v. ABACO, LLC, 20-1186-cv (2d Cir. Oct. 9, 2020) (Summary Order), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, inter alia, affirmed the dismissal of plaintiff’s breach of contract claim, based on the language of an offer letter by plaintiff’s employer. Plaintiff began working for defendant on October 1, 2018. Before that,…

Read More Breach of Employment Contract Claim Dismissed; Offer Letter Did Not Contain Guarantee of Employment of Five Years
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A recent decision, Rimpel v. AdvantageCare Physicians, P.C., 2020 WL 5517281 (E.D.N.Y. Sept. 14, 2020), discusses and applies the “stray remarks” doctrine as it applies to a claim of “disparate treatment” discrimination: From the decision: Here, no reasonable jury could conclude by a preponderance of the evidence that Plaintiff’s termination was partially motivated by age…

Read More Age Discrimination Claims Dismissed Upon Application of the “Stray Remarks” Doctrine
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In Coyle v. College of Westchester, Inc., 2018 NY Slip Op 07699, 2018 NY Slip Op 07699 (App. Div. 2d Dept. Nov. 14, 2014), the court – in addition to affirming the dismissal of plaintiff’s Labor Law § 740 cause of action – also affirmed the dismissal of plaintiff’s “fraudulent inducement” claim. The court summarized the well-established, current…

Read More Citing the “At Will Employment” Rule, Court Affirms the Dismissal of Plaintiff’s Fraudulent Inducement Claim
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The New York Supreme Court decided, in Clark v. Allen & Overy LLP, that plaintiff Deidre Holmes Clark may continue to litigate, in New York, her claims arising from alleged harassment in defendant law firm Allen & Overy’s Moscow office. Executive Law §298-a[1] provides that the New York State Human Rights Law applies “to an…

Read More Plaintiff May Continue Claims in NY Arising From Harassment in Russia
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In Connolly v. Napoli Kaiser Bern LLP, 2012 NY Slip Op 50075(U) (NY Sup Ct. NY Cty. 105224/05) (J. Madden), the court held that plaintiff (an attorney) presented sufficient evidence – pursuant to the narrow public policy exception to the “at-will” employment rule established by the Court of Appeals in Wieder v. Skala, 80 NY2d…

Read More Lawyer’s Wrongful Termination Suit Survives Under Narrow Public Policy Exception to “At Will” Employment Rule
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