Under Missouri law, either an employer or an employee can terminate the employment relationship without any reason as long as the two have not entered into an employment contract. This is called being an employee at will. However, an employer cannot fire an employee if the reason is based upon discrimination. Discrimination can be based upon age, religion, race or gender. If the fired employee feels as though they were discriminated against by being fired, they can file a complaint with the Missouri Commission on Human Rights. However, it is not illegal to fire someone just because the employer is unhappy with the employee’s performance.  For more information, visit the Missouri Department of Labor’s website, http://labor.mo.gov/DLS/General/discharged.asp.