Wrongful Discharge From Employment Act (WDEA) Law and Legal Definition
Wrongful Discharge from Employment Act (WDEA) is an Act enacted by the State of Montana in 1987 which statutorily modifies the employment at-will rule. Montana is the only U.S. state that has chosen to statutorily modify the employment at-will rule.
The Act preserves the employment at-will rule but at the same time lays out the legal basis for an action for wrongful discharge. Under the Act, a discharge is wrongful if it is in retaliation for the employee's refusal to violate public policy or for reporting a violation of public policy. If the discharge is not for good cause and the employee has completed the employer's probationary period of employment it will amount to a wrongful discharge. The act also lays down that a discharge is wrongful if the employer violates the express provisions of its own written personnel policy.
