Is there a legal definition for the phrase “at the pleasure of”?
When an employee serves “at the pleasure of” his employer, the employer can terminate the employee for almost any reason, unless there are illicit motives. For example, if the reason for the firing is racism or sexism, that would be illegal, and not only proscribed, but could potentially result in civil litigation, fines or even criminal penalties against the employer. When an employee serves at the pleasure of his employer, as in the case of Police Commissioner Wooten, an actionable cause is not required for dismissal, but any appearance of impropriety by a politician can have adverse consequences, at least to his public image, probably upon his electability, and possibly to his party.
