What states are at will employee states?

[firemanup]

What is the name of your state? Iowa

Is Iowa an at will employee state? I've been reading through some other posts and see reference to this but would like to know if Iowa is.

If it is not, does this mean that an employer must have cause to fire?

My wife unfortunately has been working for a somewhat shady bar, she enjoys the work but the owner leave alot to be desired. My wife works legal and above the table.

On numerous occasions the owner or his wife (book keeper for bar) have called her and very literally yelled at her.

Mon the owners wife called and yelled at my wife because she claimed an hour of overtime worked for thanksgiving, my wife actually worked three hrs of overtime that day and only claimed one.

Then she was yelled at for taking time off of her scheduled work day to go to a doctor's appointment, the doctors had just told her that they suspected cancer because of a positive test and wanted her in the next day no matter what, work or not.

When the owners wife started yelling at my wife because she did what her doctors told her to do, I could hear the whole converstation as she was yelling so loudly, I took the phone from my wife, and chewed out the owners wife.

Within an hour my wife was out of a job, and she and I were both advised to never step foot on the bar's property again.

I've always assumed that private businesses could fire without reason, and refuse admittance to anyone on their property, are both of these assumptions correct?

Thank you

Jason

 

[Beth3]

Every State except Montana recognizes the doctrine of "at will" employment which means either party can end the employment relationship at any time for any reason. The only caveat is that the employer may not terminate an employee for a specifically prohibited reason, such as due to their age, race, gender, national origin, in retalliation for filing a WC claim or taking FMLA, etc.

It is not against the law for your wife's bosses to be a couple of horrible jerks. However it is against the law not to pay your wife for every hour she works. Your wife may contact Iowa's Department of Labor and file a complaint if she had not been paid appropriately.