"YOO HOO, Hello, wake up. That bit about firing someone whenever is misleading. Our litiginous society in it's endeavor to make life grand for lawyers has decreed that you had better have a archived track record of every 'offense' the fired has ever committed to avoid the nearly sure to follow lawsuit. "

It sounds like what you are talking about is the gray area between fired and layed off for lack of a better term.

Basically I can fire and employe anytime I feel like it, unless we are under a contract he can go to the state or department of labor and try to plead his case for unemployment benefits due to no cause. If I can not come up with a reasonable explanation as to why I let them go to satisfy the state, then that empoyee gets the unemployment benefits.

But he can't sue to get his job back. As an employer I can fire whenever I like, and sure, I may get the phone call from the state saying that so and so wants their unemployment benefits. I reply that they are a slackass or late regularly or whatever reason I had to fire them. The former employee has a right to file an appeal in writing, the state sends it back to me in writing , I write "he's a slack ass and is always late to work", slacker then is forced to go and find another job.

I have a written policy that describes my business stance against racism in any form (employee handbook sort of thing). I have the right to fire someone for being a racist, it is part of the way we operate, racism is not tolerated on the job or at the office in any form. It's good policy, it also protects me from any race based lawsuit.