The relationship between the employer and employee in the state of New York

In the state of New York

Unless a contract or a law specifically states otherwise, the connection between the employer and employee is assumed to be one of at-will employment. The majority of countries only permit an employer to fire an employee for a cause; the United States is one of the few places on earth that permits at-will employment. At-will employment suggests that employers are free to end existing agreements with their employees for any reason without incurring legal repercussions. The At-will clause permits workers to quit their employment at any time without incurring any legal repercussions. Under the At-will relationship, employers also have the privilege of adjusting employee wages and benefits without prior notice (Stone 23).

The start of the At-will employment

The start of the At-will employment dates back to 1877 when Horace C. Wood presented in court four legal cases that backed the At-will employment. Horace C. Wood legal treatise was entitled, Master and Servant. The four cases put forward by Mr. Wood supported the fact that employers could dismiss workers without providing any credible reason or reasons (Sonne 235).

The At-will employment relationship

The At-will employment relationship is detrimental to the welfare of employees. The provision puts workers at the mercy of employers where they may face issues like wrongful dismal, reduction of wages and termination of benefits. At will employment also has adverse impacts on society and the economy. Workers depend on their jobs to pay bills like rent, water bills, electricity and school fees. If workers suddenly lose their jobs, their families and the society suffer. Sudden loss of jobs also reduces the spending power of people a situation that affects the economy negatively.

At-will employment benefits the employer

At-will employment benefits the employer at the expense of the employee. Under At-will contract, employers can dismiss employees for flimsy reasons like coming to work late. When people lose their jobs, their families, society and the economy suffer.

Works cited

Sonne, James A. “Firing Thoreau: conscience and at-will employment.” U. Pa. J. Lab. & Emp. L. 9 (2006): 235.

Stone, Katherine VW. “Revisiting the at-will employment doctrine: Imposed terms, implied terms, and the normative world of the workplace.” (2006).