“I live in a right-to-work state, so my employer can shitcan me for any reason”.
-Linus K. Lemming
Sorry friends, that’s at-will employment, *and you still can’t be terminated for any reasons that are protected by law, but we’re not here to discuss that. Right-to-work laws mean one thing: that non-union employees cannot be required to contribute to the cost of union representation.
The Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 prohibits “closed shops”, where union membership is a condition of employment; however, union represented positions can still be required to contribute to the cost of that representation. Right-to-work laws prohibit that requirement, allowing employees in union represented positions who choose not to join the union to also choose whether or not they contribute to the union’s costs, i.e., if they pay dues or not.
I see this mistake frequently and thought folks might want to know the correct information so they don’t unintentionally perpetuate it.
Edit: updated to include link to info about at-will employment.
Even At-will employment doesn’t mean they can fire you for any reason.
The reasons in which they couldn’t are for protected classes like race, religion, etc. Though they can always just, you know, lie.
They can fire you even in the protected parts as well. Because at will places DON’T HAVE TO STATE THE REASON YOU WERE FIRED. I know plenty of people including myself who was fired even though I was supposed to be protected. But since they never stated reason for firing you then good luck proving it. At will you can fired for looking funny or manger just feels like it.
I live in shit hole states that are at will there is zero protections for employees in these states.