488 F.2d 754 (5th Cir. 1980)
De Los Santos v. E.I.
Is an employer liable for wrongful termination where an employee alleges the existence of an implied contract inconsistent with at-will employment?
In the absence of a specific contract term to the contrary, employment is considered at will, allowing either party to terminate the relationship at any time without cause or reason.
The court held that because the employment was at will, E.I. Dupont de Nemours and Co. was not liable for wrongful termination, as no breach of contract occurred under the accepted employment terms.
This case underscores the importance of understanding the at-will employment doctrine and the evidentiary burden required to establish exceptions to it. It reinforces that, absent explicit, written terms specifying otherwise, employment remains terminable at will. For law students, this case is a critical study of how courts interpret employment relationships and the high threshold that must be met to prove the existence of an employment contract contrary to at-will terms.