“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.
I do not know why these two concepts are so frequently conflated and misunderstood, but they absolutely are.
Thanks for the solid clarification. At-will and RTW are two very different concepts, and off the top of my head, forty-nine of the fifty states are at-will. The 50th state isn’t all that different (MT), just a bit nuanced: “Montana defaults to a probationary period, after which termination is only lawful if for good cause”
Who is down voting this info?
If you believe this is incorrect, please state it lol
I downvoted because it doesn’t give a good description of right-to-work and/or at-will employment, or include differences or the way the law applies in different areas. It’s too broad of a post without enough specific relevant application to local law scenarios. It’s opening a can of worms and could be misunderstood.
You’re got to be kidding. The post is about right to work laws. It includes a summary of what that means, plus links for more information. So you downvoted because OP didn’t compare and contrast two unrelated laws or write a dissertation on how right to work laws vary by state/county/city. Laws that by definition literally only do one thing. This shit is why people don’t post more.
To highlight how ridiculous your comment is, I’ll help OP out and provide what you found to be so lacking. I know this is going to make OP look pretty bad, so I’m sure they’ll provide at least a partial refund of what you paid for their post.
At-will employment: you can be fired for anything not protected by law.
Right to work laws: employees in unionized workplaces cannot negotiate employment contracts which require that non union employees must pay union dues.
Compare: they are applied to employees Contrast: neither does anything similar
For my next trick, I’ll provide specific relevant application for local law scenarios by state.
Alabama: employees in unionized workplaces cannot negotiate employment contracts which require that non union employees must pay union dues
Arkansas: employees in unionized workplaces cannot negotiate employment contracts which require that non union employees must pay union dues
Georgia: employees in unionized workplaces cannot negotiate employment contracts which require that non union employees must pay union dues
Idaho: employees in unionized workplaces cannot negotiate employment contracts which require that non union employees must pay union dues
Indiana: employees in unionized workplaces cannot negotiate employment contracts which require that non union employees must pay union dues
Iowa: employees in unionized workplaces cannot negotiate employment contracts which require that non union employees must pay union dues
Kansas: employees in unionized workplaces cannot negotiate employment contracts which require that non union employees must pay union dues
Kentucky: employees in unionized workplaces cannot negotiate employment contracts which require that non union employees must pay union dues
Louisiana: employees in unionized workplaces cannot negotiate employment contracts which require that non union employees must pay union dues
Michigan: employees in unionized workplaces cannot negotiate employment contracts which require that non union employees must pay union dues
Mississippi: employees in unionized workplaces cannot negotiate employment contracts which require that non union employees must pay union dues
Nebraska: employees in unionized workplaces cannot negotiate employment contracts which require that non union employees must pay union dues
North Carolina: employees in unionized workplaces cannot negotiate employment contracts which require that non union employees must pay union dues
North Dakota: employees in unionized workplaces cannot negotiate employment contracts which require that non union employees must pay union dues
Oklahoma: employees in unionized workplaces cannot negotiate employment contracts which require that non union employees must pay union dues
South Carolina: employees in unionized workplaces cannot negotiate employment contracts which require that non union employees must pay union dues
South Dakota: employees in unionized workplaces cannot negotiate employment contracts which require that non union employees must pay union dues
Tennessee: employees in unionized workplaces cannot negotiate employment contracts which require that non union employees must pay union dues
Texas: employees in unionized workplaces cannot negotiate employment contracts which require that non union employees must pay union dues
Utah: employees in unionized workplaces cannot negotiate employment contracts which require that non union employees must pay union dues
Virginia: employees in unionized workplaces cannot negotiate employment contracts which require that non union employees must pay union dues
Washington: employees in unionized workplaces cannot negotiate employment contracts which require that non union employees must pay union dues
West Virginia: employees in unionized workplaces cannot negotiate employment contracts which require that non union employees must pay union dues
Wisconsin: employees in unionized workplaces cannot negotiate employment contracts which require that non union employees must pay union dues
Wyoming: employees in unionized workplaces cannot negotiate employment contracts which require that non union employees must pay union dues
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.
