Opinion ID: 1135943
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Garritys' Employment Contract Claim

Text: 9. The Garritys first argue that they were fired in violation of an oral employment contract. This argument is without merit. Neither Joan Garrity nor Dawn Garrity Wood testified that Davis or Overland Outfitters ever offered the Garritys an employment contract. The Garritys' also did not allege at trial that Davis or Overland Outfitters even made any promises to them that they could be fired only for just cause. Dawn Garrity Wood did testify that she had a general feeling that if she did good work, she would always have a job at Overland Outfitters. 10. However, a vague impression or general feeling of continued employment is not sufficient to create an employment contract. The general rule in New Mexico is that an employment contract is for an indefinite period and is terminable at the will of either party unless the contract is supported by consideration beyond the performance of duties and payment of wages or there is an express contractual provision stating otherwise. Hartbarger v. Frank Paxton Co., 115 N.M. 665, 668, 857 P.2d 776, 779 (1993), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 114 S.Ct. 1068, 127 L.Ed.2d 387 (1994). Courts have allowed an exception to the at-will employment rule when there is an implied contract arising out of an employer's promise not to fire an employee except for just cause. Id. However, we will not find an implied contract for cases in which the alleged promise by the employer [is] not sufficiently explicit. Id. at 669, 857 P.2d at 780. 11. To bolster their claim, the Garritys point out that Overland Outfitters had a written personnel policy which they argue created an implied contract. However, Overland Outfitters first published this personnel policy in August 1991, four months after Overland Outfitters fired the Garritys. The Garritys, however, rely on a statement made by Davis in his deposition. After being asked whether he may have communicated the terms of the personnel policy to the Garritys in March 1991, Davis replied: I don't recall having done that. It's not unlikely that I did mention [it]. This statement, upon which the Garritys place much significance, is equivocal at best. However, even if we assume that this statement could give rise to the inference that Davis promised to abide by the terms of the written personnel policy, we conclude that this policy did not create an implied employment contract. 12. The written personnel policy of August 1991 expressly provided that Overland Outfitters reserve[d] the right to terminate any employee without notice for any reason (as long as such termination is not in violation of law). As we explained in Hartbarger: An implied contract is created only where an employer creates a reasonable expectation. The reasonableness of expectations is measured by just how definite, specific, or explicit has been the representation or conduct relied upon. Id. at 672, 857 P.2d at 783. Given the express reservation of the right to terminate an employee for any reason, Overland Outfitters' written personnel policy cannot be said to have created any reasonable expectation of an implied contract. See id. at 672-75, 857 P.2d at 783-86 (rejecting implied contract claim under similar circumstances). Accordingly, we conclude that the Garritys were at-will employees without an employment contract either express or implied.