What is the difference between an at-will and a contract employee?

At-will and contract employees are defined by the type of employment relationship they have with their employer. An at-will employee in Hawaii is an employment relationship where either the employer or the employee can terminate the contract at any time without warning or cause. In other words, the employer is not held to any obligation to keep the employee employed unless it agrees to do so. On the other hand, a contract employee is an employee that is hired into a job and has a written agreement with the employer. This agreement details the duties, rights, and responsibilities of the employee and the employer. A contract employee has some protections that an at-will employee does not. For example, contractual employees usually have the right to certain wages or benefits for the duration of the contract, and they may also be protected from termination without cause. In short, the main difference between at-will and contract employees in Hawaii is the level of protection they have. An at-will employee has no protection, while a contract employee is typically provided with a written agreement that details their duties, rights, and responsibilities.

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