Can employee be fired for being "unhappy"? 09-05-2007

My boss was fired today and the reason I was told was that he was fired is that he was unhappy. I have to say that if that was the case we would all be fired. Help, does he have a case and what will come of it????

Rita Risser replies:

If he was an at-will employee, as most are, it is legal to fire him for any reason, including being unhappy. Sometimes when employers say employees are "unhappy" what they mean is they were looking for another job. It is generally legal to fire in that case, too. If employees are unhappy, and have bad attitudes that affect other people, that is also usually a legitimate reason to fire them. From the company's perspective it is certainly advisable to warn employees first and give them an opportunity to improve by encouraging them to "put on a happy face." But even if they do and their bosses still feel unhappy vibes, if they are at-will they can be fired.

Information here is correct at the time it is posted. Case decisions cited here may be reversed. Please do not rely on this information without consulting an attorney first.