what motivated them to do what they did, such as whether to reject an applicant or discipline or discharge an employee. That can be a tall order. Employment-at-will in North Carolina lawfully consider when making such decisions. In fact, despite the vast array of criteria made verboten by federal and state laws, regulations, and judicial decisions too numerous to count, employers are typically free to hire and fire whom they wish, as indicated in part by the long-standing doctrine of "employment at will" that persists throughout the United States. In North Carolina, for example, that doctrine means that "[g]enerally, either party to an employment-at-will