for the employee.” Id. at 1011. “However, employers can effectively disclaim any implied contractual obligation arising from such provisions.” Id. “‘The legal effect of such a disclaimer is, in the first instance, a question for the court to decide.’ ” Id. (quoting Smith v. Union Labor Life Ins. Co., 620 A.2d 265, 269 (D.C.1993)). A mere statement that the employee handbook is not a contract does not necessarily settle the matter. See Strass, 744 A.2d at 1012-14. Rather, for provisions relating to employee termination to be “unenforceable at law,” our cases have held that the employee handbook “must contain language clearly reserving the employer’s right to terminate at will.” Sisco v. GSA Nat’l Capital Fed. Credit Union, 689 A.2d 52, 55 (D.C.1997); See, e.g., Smith, 620 A.2d at 269 (<HOLDING>); see also Kerrigan v. Britches of Georgetowm,
recognizing that wrongful or malicious interference with atwill employment contract may give rise to a tortious interference claim the fact that the employment is at the will of the employer and the employee does not make it one at the will of third parties holding that employee handbook did not give rise to implied contract where it stated that it was not a contract and that employment was terminable at will holding that an employment contract of an indefinite duration is terminable at will holding that a contract of an indefinite duration is terminable at will holding that language in employee handbook stating that it was not to be considered as creating terms and conditions of an employment contract and that the employment relationship was employment atwill  was sufficiently explicit to preclude the creation of implied contractual obligations as a matter of law