Most states follow the employment-at-will doctrine, and employment for an indefinite term may be terminated at will and without cause. Absent a specific contract term to the contrary, this doctrine allows an employee to quit or be terminated without liability on the part of the employer or the employee, with or without cause.

But executive employees often have a written employment contract that provides for a more complex compensation structure—including incentives, bonuses, and severance pay—and limits the circumstances under which the executive may be fired or terminated to those situations in which the employer has cause for termination, as defined in the written employment agreement.

In Oklahoma, as in most states, the employment-at-will doctrine is the default rule, meaning that either the employer or the employee can terminate the employment relationship at any time, for any reason, or for no reason at all, without incurring legal liability, as long as the termination does not violate specific employment laws (e.g., anti-discrimination statutes). However, this doctrine does not apply when there is a written employment contract that specifies the terms of employment. Executive employees often have such contracts that detail a more complex compensation package, including incentives, bonuses, and severance pay. These contracts typically also restrict the employer's ability to terminate the executive only to situations where there is 'cause' as defined by the contract. Therefore, the rights and obligations of an executive employee upon termination would be governed by the specific terms and conditions laid out in their individual employment agreement.