"I am convinced that teaching people the basics of our legal system will lead to more community involvement, which will in turn benefit not just the students, but their children and their entire community."
--Amanda DuBois
Civil Survival E-Learning
Employment at Will
You know there are several steps to getting a job. After lots of looking, you have an interview. There are often papers to sign when you are hired. These papers should protect both workers and employers. Such papers make clear what some of the rules are in your new job. One phrase often used in such papers is “employed at will.” That’s what we’re looking at in this lesson. Consider these Web sites for learning more about employment at will:
Use the do-it-yourself resource guide www.nolo.com/ to answer the following questions.
Explore 1. After reading about employment at will, write down the definition here in your own words. Talk to other coworkers or friends doing this activity too, if that makes it easier.
2. See if you can find the one state of all fifty that doesn’t let employers use employment at will when hiring. (1 line)
3. What tool can employers use to inform new workers about their job and other important details about the workplace? (Hint: It’s something you read.)
4. Even if you’re hired “at will,” there are some reasons an employer cannot use to fire you. These protections are written into laws that you read about in the Employment Law: Legal Guide. List at least three of these laws and explain how they protect you in the workplace.)
5. Try answering Question 4 with a group of coworkers. See how many different kinds of protection you all can think of. Make a list.
Dig Deeper 1. Think of a couple of reasons why an employer might have to reduce the number of people working in the business. What other choices might the employer have?
2. Ask friends who work at different places if you can look at their employee handbooks? See what these guidelines say about how secure their jobs are. Compare that to your job and note the differences
Debate 1. Search some of the Web sites suggested earlier. Learn about the role of the courts when a person complains that he or she was fired unfairly. What can a worker do to protect his or her job? What can an employer do to keep the freedom to lay off workers when necessary?
