at-will
Whenever one chooses
At-will describes employment that either party can end at any time, for any reason or no reason, without prior notice: Most American workers are at-will employees.
The phrase appears in at-will employment and employed at-will.
Something held at will—without the hyphen—exists at someone's discretion: The appointment serves at the pleasure of the governor.
Subject to personal judgment
- revocableAble to be canceled
- noncontractualNot governed by agreement
- unilateralAffecting one side only
- impliedSuggested without stating
voluntary · arbitrary · unrestricted · undetermined · indeterminate · open-ended · terminable · waivable
Take on for work
- fireCombustion with flames
- dismissSend away or reject
- terminateBring to an end
- layoffTermination without cause
resign · quit · employer · employee · workforce · job · position · workplace
Removal from position
- firingTerminating employment
- dischargeRelease of substance outward
- severanceTermination pay or disconnection
- downsizingReducing workforce or scale
redundancy · sacking · ouster · removal · layoff · unemployment · separation · notice
Lacking self-assurance
- unstableProne to sudden change
- uncertainNot firmly known
- vulnerableOpen to attack
- tenuousLacking solid foundation
risky · unpredictable · volatile · fragile · transient · disposable · expendable · replaceable
discretionary
Subject to personal judgment
- revocableAble to be canceled
- noncontractualNot governed by agreement
- unilateralAffecting one side only
implied · voluntary · arbitrary · unrestricted · undetermined · indeterminate · open-ended · terminable · waivable · severable
hire
Take on for work
layoff · resign · quit · employer · employee · workforce · job · position · workplace · labor
dismissal
Removal from position
- firingTerminating employment
- dischargeRelease of substance outward
- severanceTermination pay or disconnection
downsizing · redundancy · sacking · ouster · removal · layoff · unemployment · separation · notice
insecure
Lacking self-assurance
- unstableProne to sudden change
- uncertainNot firmly known
- vulnerableOpen to attack
tenuous · risky · unpredictable · volatile · fragile · transient · disposable · expendable · replaceable · unprotected
- labor rightsworker rights, labor laws, union rights, employee rights, right to strike
- lease termslease term, rental agreement, lease, rental contract, rent payment
- workforceworkers, employee, employees, labor force, employer
- Optional Thingsoptional, voluntary, elective, nonbinding, unobligated
at-willtenured
Granted permanent position
permanent · civil service · unionized · protected · lifetime employment
at-willfixed-term
Having set endpoint
term-limited · contracted · obligated · committed · under contract
at-willmandated
Officially ordered or required
compulsory · regulated · constrained · rule-bound · prescribed