Employees Work “At The Will of Their Employer”
Sometimes I feel more like a shrink than a lawyer. You see people often call a law firm like ours after they get fired. They are frequently upset and confused and sometimes they just want a sympathetic ear. After listening to these calls for more than 10 years now, I have noticed a trend in the stories.
First, people are usually angry because they feel as though they were fired unfairly. They see a disconnect between their hard work and loyalty and how they were treated. I have heard so many sad stories of people who worked for decades and then abruptly fired and left with little or nothing.
Second, because people are angry and sense some kind of unfairness, they often want to strike back and challenge the company. But most of the time, there is nothing that can be done legally. This is because fairness is not part of the law. There is no law requiring fairness or decency. Rather, an employee can be fired for any reason or no reason. Yes, after spending 20 years working for your company, you have no right to that job and you can be fired without any notice and severance pay is not required either.
Many good companies provide notice and severance packages, but they do this voluntarily. It is not required. In many other countries, employees are entitled to notice and severance pay, but not in America. America is tough – people are resources to be exploited by the company – hence the term “human resources.”
Truly great companies, however, usually do not treat people poorly. The best way to protect yourself and enjoy a rewarding career is to find a good company run by decent human beings who will hopefully treat you fairly and honestly. But remember, fairness is not required and you are an employee at will. Now that you know this, save some money so you have at least a six month buffer in case you get the boot.
