Are there any exceptions that allow an employee-at-will to sue for wrongful discharge?

A) Only the implied-contract exception.
B) Only the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing exception.
C) The implied-contract exception and the public policy exception.
D) The implied-contract exception, the public policy exception, and the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing exception.
E) An employee-at-will cannot sue for wrongful discharge.

The implied-contract exception applies because the employee handbook's progressive discipline policy could be seen as creating an implied contract that the employer would follow its own rules before terminating an employee. The public policy exception could apply if the termination was related to the employee's jury duty, which is protected by public policy. The implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing exception might apply if the termination was seen as unfairly preventing the employee from receiving the benefits of the employment relationship, such as the opportunity to improve performance as outlined in the warning.