No, but you can request it as a professional courtesy. At-will employment means either party can end the employment relationship at any time, with or without notice and with or without cause. Requiring notice would conflict with that arrangement and could jeopardize at-will status.
As mentioned, you can request that employees provide notice as a professional courtesy—basically as “the right thing to do”—so that you can figure out how to cover their duties and make the transition smoother for coworkers and customers. You could also explain that quitting without any notice typically reflects poorly on an employee and might be a factor you’d consider if the employee were to reapply in the future.
This way, the decision about whether to give the requested notice will still be up to the employee, but they might be more inclined to provide notice ahead of their departure once they’ve considered the potential downsides.
This Q&A does not constitute legal advice and does not address state or local law.
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