'At Will' employment, what are your thoughts?
 

I know it has it's benefits like being able to quit. But do you think that it should be revised so that employers can't terminate without reason or warning?

With the way the economy is, I think employees should at least be given a verbal and/or written warning before being terminated and have the chance to 'fix' whatever the issue may be.

Seems there's so much talk about getting people back to work and creating job but what about keeping people at work?

No.

An employer should be able to terminate an employee at will. And honestly I think if it is a truly privately owned company then they should be able to do so for ANY reason they want with NO notice.

What few people realize is that "at will" has its limitations.

I agree completely. Unfortunately, unions and lawsuits have made it so that employers almost need a court order to fire someone. That keeps a lot of people in jobs they shouldn't be doing.

"At will" works fine here.

Employees and employers both have the right to terminate a contract of employment for any reason.

Why would it be a problem?

Texas is an "at will" state, and rarely are people fired for no real reason as many fear when discussing this topic. Most companies have policies that go beyond what the state requires, and it is largely a non-issue. It's a good example of competition in the marketplace. Nobody wants to work for a company that mistreats its employees, so to attract and retain quality workers companies have established a culture of "we treat our people great" and it has benefitted workers. Personally I can tell you that the company I work for requires incredibly stupid behavior to be fired.

Maybe where you are. I was just fired recently with no reason and had no prior warnings.

"AT Will" is code language for screw the employee, don't like what the boss dictates - take a hike.:whistling:

Pretty much. And more people just end up on welfare.

In many states, those limitations are few and narrow.

I hate to hear that happened to you. I guess I was a bit too general there. Small companies typically can truly operate on an "at will" basis. Larger companies and government entities, though, usually have policies that keep worthless employees at work.

Pretty much zero limitations in Oregon.

Because it's a fair deal and some people just want to have the deck stacked in their favor.

As if it isn't already hard enough to replace people hindering or flat out preventing the success of the business, someone comes along and tries to make companies more wary of hiring people.

If the OP got what he wanted and shafted businesses like that, you'd see an immediate decline in job openings being filled, more stringent background checks, and a very heavy burden placed on job hunters to convince a business to put them on the payroll.

Think it's hard for people to find work now?

It really isn't, honestly, but make this happen and good luck getting a new job.

"At Will" is actually code language for "competition".

Good employees are in demand, so employers do not want the reputation of being a haphazard workplace that's not a stable workplace.

It creates good places to work. It also creates good employees.

The better employees thrive under at-will conditions.:cool:

Where there is a lawyer, there is a way.

No worries man. I understood what you meant.
But yeh thats why I said it has it's benefits. I just think at least one warning should be required.
What pisses me off most is that I worked with a couple of really useless people but they were protected by the union.
Management knew they were useless and have been trying to get rid of them.
I do everything right, not union and bam. Because one manager doesn't like me.

I supervise a good number of people at work. I am always and I mean always short staffed it seems. Makes no business for me to fire anyone if I did not have a just cause. It hurts my ability to perform when I fire someone, it takes minutes to lose someone and weeks to replace.

So in my case I think no regulation is needed, the free market takes care of the issue.

Wow! You don't even know me and saying I shafted the business?

I really busted my ass trying to get ahead after my divorce. I had plans to move next year and get a temp job while I get things in order to start my own business. Everything seemed to be falling in place and bam, I GOT SHAFTED.

Sorry to hear about this, but welcome to the real world. BTDT.

In America.

If not at will the what? Some socialist utopia where my boss keeps paying me when I no longer serve a viable positive purpose for the organization?

No thanks.

This!!

The problem is not firing good people, but rather the problem is keeping bad employees because you can't afford to fire anyone and despite this economy you can't find good employees.

My last employer was "right-sizing". I got laid off without the same notice month's notice that another employee received. I wasn't part of the click. I'm in an at will state.

Fired or laid off?

No offense but why would they fire you for no reason? What did they gain?