GA Code § 34-7-1 (2021)
2021 Georgia Code|Title 34 - Labor and Industrial Relations|Chapter 7 - Employment Generally; Employer's Liability|Article 1 - General Provisions|Part 1 - Wages Generally|§ 34-7-1. Determination of Term of Employment; Manner of Termination of Indefinite Hiring

 If a contract of employment provides that wages are payable at a stipulated period, the presumption shall arise that the hiring is for such period, provided that, if anything else in the contract indicates that the hiring was for a longer term, the mere reservation of wages for a lesser time will not control. An indefinite hiring may be terminated at will by either party.   (Civil Code 1895, § 2614; Civil Code 1910, § 3133; Code 1933, § 66-101.)   Law reviews.   - For survey article on contracts - Employment at Will, see 34 Mercer L. Rev. 86 (1982). For article, "The Decline of Assent: At-Will Employment As a Case Study of the Breakdown of Private Law Theory," see 20 Ga. L. Rev. 323 (1986). For annual survey of law of torts, see 38 Mercer L. Rev. 351 (1986). For annual survey of workers' compensation, see 38 Mercer L. Rev. 431 (1986). For article, "'Sometime the Road Less Traveled is Less Traveled for a Reason': The Need For Change in Georgia's Employment-at-Will Doctrine and Refusal to Adopt the Public Policy Exception," see 35 Ga. L. Rev. 1021 (2001). For article, "Labor and Employment Law," see 53 Mercer L. Rev. 349 (2001). For survey article on labor and employment law for the period from June 1, 2002 to May 31, 2003, see 55 Mercer L. Rev. 303 (2003). For annual survey of labor and employment law, see 56 Mercer L. Rev. 291 (2004). For annual survey of labor and employment law, see 57 Mercer L. Rev. 251 (2005). For annual survey of labor and employment law, see 58 Mercer L. Rev. 211 (2006). For survey article on labor and employment law, see 59 Mercer L. Rev. 233 (2007). For survey article on labor and employment law, see 60 Mercer L. Rev. 217 (2008). For annual survey of labor and employment law, see 61 Mercer L. Rev. 213 (2009). For article, "The Public Policy Exception to Employment At-Will: Time to Retire a Noble Warrior?," see 61 Mercer L. Rev. 551 (2010). For annual survey of law on labor and employment law, see 62 Mercer L. Rev. 181 (2010). For annual survey on labor and employment law, see 64 Mercer L. Rev. 173 (2012). For article, "Employment Discrimination," see 64 Mercer L. Rev. 891 (2013). For annual survey on labor and employment law, see 65 Mercer L. Rev. 157 (2013). For annual survey on labor and employment law, see 66 Mercer L. Rev. 121 (2014). For annual survey on labor and employment law, see 67 Mercer L. Rev. 91 (2015). For annual survey on labor and employment law, see 69 Mercer L. Rev. 141 (2017). For annual survey on labor and employment law, see 70 Mercer L. Rev. 125 (2018). For annual survey on labor and employment law, see 71 Mercer L. Rev. 137 (2019).   JUDICIAL DECISIONS   ANALYSIS    General Consideration   Period of Employment   Discharge   Recovery for Discharge    OPINIONS OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL   Length of notice or compensation.   - Georgia law does not provide for a specific length of time or compensation when an employee is discharged; the length of notice or compensation when discharged would depend entirely upon the agreement or contract between the employer and employee. 1948-49 Op. Att'y Gen. p. 242.   The length of employment, wages therefor and termination of employment depends entirely upon the contract between parties. 1948-49 Op. Att'y Gen. p. 242.   RESEARCH REFERENCES   Am. Jur. 2d.   - 27 Am. Jur. 2d, Employment Relationship, §§ 8 et seq., 26 et seq.   Defending Wrongful Discharge Cases, 36 Am. Jur. Trials 419.   ALR.    - Constitutionality of law regulating right to tips as between master and servant, 3 A.L.R. 310.    Duration of contract of hiring which specifies no term, but fixes compensation at a certain amount per day, week, month, or year, 11 A.L.R. 469; 100 A.L.R. 834; 161 A.L.R. 706.    Payment as condonation preventing discharge of servant for breach of duty, 44 A.L.R. 532.    Injunction against discharge of employee, 44 A.L.R. 1443.    Negligence or incompetency as a ground for discharge of an employee, 49 A.L.R. 472.    Changes in personnel or conditions of business as justification for termination of contract of employment, 59 A.L.R. 294.    Expenses incurred in seeking or in obtaining other employment as element of damages in an action for wrongful discharge of employee, 84 A.L.R. 171.    Specification in employment contract of grounds or causes of discharge as exclusive of other grounds or causes, 100 A.L.R. 507.    Servant's right to compensation for extra work or overtime, 107 A.L.R. 705.    Operation of negative or restrictive covenant in contract of employment for a specific period, as extended by continuance in the employment after the expiration of that period, 163 A.L.R. 405.    Validity, construction, and effect of statutory or contractual provision in, government construction contract referring to Secretary of Labor questions respecting wage rates or classification of employees of contractor, 163 A.L.R. 1300.   Right of employer to terminate contract because of employee's illness or physical incapacity, 21 A.L.R.2d 1247.   Oral contract for personal services so long as employee is able to continue in work, to do satisfactory work, or the like, as within statute of frauds relating to contracts not to be performed within year, 28 A.L.R.2d 878.   Power of corporate officer or agent to hire employees for life, 28 A.L.R.2d 929.   Discharge from private employment on ground of political views or conduct, 51 A.L.R.2d 742; 29 A.L.R.4th 287, 38 A.L.R.5th 39.   What law governs employee's right to damages for wrongful discharge, 61 A.L.R.2d 917.   Employer's damages for breach of employment contract by employee's terminating employment, 61 A.L.R.2d 1008.   Recovery of damages by employee wrongfully discharged before expiration of time period fixed in employment contract as embracing entire term of contract or as limited to those damages sustained up to time of trial, 91 A.L.R.2d 682.   Termination by principal of distributorship contract containing no express provision for termination, 19 A.L.R.3d 196.   Employer's termination of professional athlete's services as constituting breach of employment contract, 57 A.L.R.3d 257.   Validity and duration of contract purporting to be for permanent employment, 60 A.L.R.3d 226.   Right of corporation to discharge employee who asserts rights as stockholder, 84 A.L.R.3d 1107.   Modern status as to duration of employment where contract specifies no term but fixes daily or longer compensation, 93 A.L.R.3d 659.   Liability for discharging at-will employee for refusing to participate in, or for disclosing, unlawful or unethical acts of employer or coemployees, 9 A.L.R.4th 329.   Discharge from employment on ground of political views or conduct as affecting right to unemployment compensation, 29 A.L.R.4th 287, 38 A.L.R.5th 39.   Judicial review of termination of pastor's employment by local church or temple, 31 A.L.R.4th 851.   Recovery for discharge from employment in retaliation for filing workers' compensation claim, 32 A.L.R.4th 1221.   Right to discharge allegedly "at-will" employee as affected by employer's promulgation of employment policies as to discharge, 33 A.L.R.4th 120.   Damages recoverable for wrongful discharge of at-will employee, 44 A.L.R.4th 1131.   Liability for retaliation against at-will employee for public complaints or efforts relating to health or safety, 75 A.L.R.4th 13.   Liability for discharge of at-will employee for refusal to submit to drug testing, 79 A.L.R.4th 105.   Effectiveness of employer's disclaimer of representations in personnel manual or employee handbook altering at-will employment relationship, 17 A.L.R.5th 1.   Pre-emption by workers' compensation statute of employee's remedy under state "whistleblower" statute, 20 A.L.R.5th 677.   Pre-emption of wrongful discharge cause of action by civil rights laws, 21 A.L.R.5th 1.   Liability for breach of employment severance agreement, 27 A.L.R.5th 1.   After-acquired evidence of employee's misconduct as barring or limiting recovery in action for wrongful discharge, 34 A.L.R.5th 699.   Liability for discharge of employee from private employment on ground of political views or conduct, 38 A.L.R.5th 39.    Wrongful discharge based on public policy derived from professional ethics codes, 52 A.L.R. 5th 405.   Negligent discharge of employee, 53 A.L.R.5th 219.   Wrongful discharge based on employer's fraternization policy, 71 A.L.R.5th 257.   Federal pre-emption of whistleblower's state-law action for wrongful retaliation, 99 A.L.R. Fed. 775.