One of my least favorite terms is “at-will employment,” but what does it even mean?
The term implies that puts the power in the hands of employees, but it actually means an employer can fire you, without warning, for any reason that isn’t illegal—which, honestly, is a distinction without a difference, because you’re unlikely to be told you’re being fired for being a parent, for instance.
In the US, most states have at-will employment laws on the books, though there are a few key exceptions in some places, like in cases where workers notify authorities of safety violations and in cases there is an implied contract. (This can, of course, be hard to prove when it comes down to it.)
-source: https://www.paycor.com/resource-center/articles/employment-at-will-laws-by-state/
As you can imagine, the main criticisms of at-will employment are about how harshly these laws impact individuals, and how much power it puts in the hands of employers. These are the reasons I hate these laws, but as you can see from the map above, it’s almost universal policy, with a few exceptions. The inherent assumption is that the balance of power between employer and employee are more or less even, but clearly that is not the case. Some scholars argue that there are benefits to the system, but my personal experience with clients highlights the enormous drawbacks.
There is, however, one piece of good news: as an employee in an at-will state, you can also leave without notice, for any reason. It also means you can go on strike or otherwise cease working, though these steps are significantly more protected if you are in a union. It’s a thin silver lining, to be sure, but at least it means you can take advantage of new opportunities.
