The Public Interest Exception to the Employment-at-Will Doctrine: From Crime Victims to Whistleblowers, Will the Real Public Policy Please Stand Up?

Abstract

This article will examine the scope of Michigan's public interest exception to the employment-at-will doctrine, with particular regard to whether an employee's refusal to discontinue criminal proceedings against another employee, over conduct unrelated to the workplace, should be protected by Michigan's public interest exception. It will also examine whether this type of wrongful discharge comes within the exclusive coverage of Michigan's Whistleblowers' Act, and whether application of the Act would be adequate under the circumstances.

Keywords: public interest exception, employment-at-will, Whistleblowers