Employers cannot terminate an at-will employee without cause after a long period of employment. Of course, much depends on the nature of this long-term employment, but courts have found in favor of those employees because there has evolved an obligation on the part of the employer to deal with the employee fairly and in good faith. In one case, a California court awarded $1.7 million to an individual who was fired after 17 years with the company, saying that after such a long time, the employer had an obligation to treat the employee fairly.