Opinion ID: 2221364
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Determining Public Policy.

Text: In first recognizing the public policy exception to the at-will employment doctrine, we were careful to limit the tort action for wrongful discharge to cases involving only a well-recognized and clear public policy. Springer, 429 N.W.2d at 560. This requirement has been incorporated in our subsequent cases. This important element sets the foundation for the tort and it is necessary to overcome the employer's interest in operating its business in the manner it sees fit. Perrit § 7.10, at 19. It also helps ensure that employers have notice that their dismissal decisions will give rise to liability. Stevenson v. Superior Ct., 16 Cal.4th 880, 66 Cal.Rptr.2d 888, 941 P.2d 1157, 1161 (1997). In determining whether a clear, well-recognized public policy exists for purposes of a cause of action, we have primarily looked to our statutes but have also indicated our Constitution to be an additional source. Borschel, 512 N.W.2d at 567. We have not been asked to extend our sources of public policy beyond our statutes and Constitution, but recognize other states have used additional sources such as judicial decisions and administrative rules. See generally Tobias § 5:05-:06, at 16-23. Some statutes articulate public policy by specifically prohibiting employers from discharging employees for engaging in certain conduct or other circumstances. [3] Yet, we do not limit the public policy exception to specific statutes which mandate protection for employees. Teachout, 584 N.W.2d at 300. Instead, we look to other statutes which not only define clear public policy but imply a prohibition against termination from employment to avoid undermining that policy. See Borschel, 512 N.W.2d at 568. Our insistence on using only clear and well-recognized public policy to serve as the basis for the wrongful discharge tort emphasizes our continuing general adherence to the at-will employment doctrine and the need to carefully balance the competing interests of the employee, employer, and society. See Fogel v. Trustees of Iowa College, 446 N.W.2d 451, 455 (Iowa 1989) (common law doctrine of employment at-will is firmly rooted in Iowa law); 82 Am.Jur.2d Wrongful Discharge § 15, at 687-88 (1992) (purpose of public policy exception is to balance competing interests of society, employers, and employees in light of the modern business experience). An employer's right to terminate an employee at any time only gives way under the wrongful discharge tort when the reason for the discharge offends clear public policy. See Lockhart, 577 N.W.2d at 846. The need for clarity in public policy is similarly recognized in our reluctance to search too far beyond our legislative pronouncements and constitution to find public policy to support an action. Thus, we must proceed cautiously when asked to declare public policy to support an exception to the at-will doctrine, and only utilize those policies that are well recognized and clearly defined. Burnham v. Karl & Gelb, P.C., 252 Conn. 153, 745 A.2d 178, 182 (2000) (public policy exception is narrow and courts should not lightly intervene to impair the exercise of managerial discretion). Any effort to evaluate the public policy exception with generalized concepts of fairness and justice will result in an elimination of the at-will doctrine itself. See Tobias § 5:05, at 17. Moreover, it could unwittingly transform the public policy exception into a good faith and fair dealing exception, a standard we have repeatedly rejected. Id. ; see Huegerich, 547 N.W.2d at 220.