At-Will Employment Needs To Cease To Exist

Did the pandemic make you all feel more connected with each other, or more disconnected from each other? The pandemic disrupted everyone’s life by causing drastic shifts in our day-to-day, yet some were hit the hardest. For instance, financially.

The US is predominately at-will, which disrupts stability during a time of still so much uncertainty.

At-will employment needs to cease to exist if we are to progress as a nation.

In short, at-will employment means that the employee is employed by both their will and the employer’s will.

At-will employment gives each party the “flexibility” to end the employment relationship (with no notice and no consequences). Employers can terminate employees for any reason, or no reason at all (without warning, or without explanation). However, it can’t be illegal. Lastly, the employment relationship can drastically change at any time (with no notice). Therefore, it’s clear that employers not only have the upper hand, but greatly benefit from this type of employment.

Due to the pandemic or recession, a great deal of displaced low wage workers (predominately Black and Latino workers) are essentially coerced into this employment relationship, which makes them the most vulnerable:

The vague language in the legal doctrine makes discrimination not only possible, but prevalent because employers can hide behind the any reason, or no reason at all. In short, at-will employment hurts all workers, especially those that have the least power in the labor market (Black and Latino workers).

More employers are “adopting” DEI practices, yet there hasn’t been much dialogue, surrounding systematic barriers that still exists in the workplace.

How can we be progressive in the workplace when systematic barriers still exist in the workplace?

At-will employment needs to cease to exist, so everyone has an opportunity to thrive in and outside of the workplace.

Let’s acknowledge how at-will employment is discriminatory.