Employers function with 'employment at will' in Illinois, meaning that unless specified in a contract, employers may eliminate employees at any time. However, they cannot do so wrongly. Wrongful termination in Illinois is governed in the same manner as other states; there are four main causes for wrongful termination, discrimination, retaliation, breach of contract and refusal to commit illegal acts. An addition to the discrimination laws was made in 2005 in the state of Illinois to account for sexual orientation. An employer may not discriminate against an employee in any way because of their sexual orientation. Severance packages may be granted to compensate for a wrongful termination and avoid lawsuits.