Does an employee handbook create a contract of employment?
Under Ohio law, an employee handbook can create a contractual relationship between an employer and an employee. In other words, handbooks can create obligations on the part of the employer to employ an employee for a specific period unless the employer has just cause to terminate employment before that period ends. Whether a handbook creates a contract between an employee and an employer depends on the particular language in the handbook. In Ohio, employment is presumed to be at-will unless evidence to the contrary exists. At-will employment means that the relationship can be terminated by either side for any reason at any time. Contrary evidence must show an agreement that the employment will last for a specific, limited, period. A handbook that contains such a promise will be evidence contrary to an at-will employment relationship and create a contractual relationship between the employer and employee. Such promises are often expressed or implied in handbooks containing progressive d
