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At this point in your studies, do you feel that the employer-employee relationship is balanced, or does one side have an advantage over the other?

The employer-employee relationship is definitely not balanced when we look at in terms of the employment at will doctrine. The employment at will doctrine gives employers advantages over the employee. Granted, the employee does have the right to quit their job at any given time, and because of this freedom, many would argue that if the employee is free to quit, why then can’t the employer fire the employee if they see fit. The problem with the employment at will doctrine is that it gives the power for the employer to fire the employee for any or no reason at all; according to Nolo.com, “if you are employed at will, your employer does not need good cause to fire you” (p.1); this puts the employee at a disadvantage, especially if they need the job and they have not done anything to justify the termination.

Many states recognize the employment at will doctrine; therefore, the residents of that state have no choice but to accept the work at will. In all reality, what choice is really given to the employee if the state where they reside follows the doctrine? Should they just not work at all? Given the circumstances, it would either be, work with the risk of getting fired for no reason, or don’t work at all. According to Boatright (2007) “some people have more alternatives from which to choose than others. A person with few skills and limited resources might choose to accept menial, exhausting, and dangerous work at low pay when the alternative is no work at all” (p.245). In the same manner, an individual who does not have the necessary skills or the needed knowledge for contract jobs or government jobs would have to settle and work for companies that exercise employment at will.

Like with everything else, the employment at will doctrine also has its exceptions. According to Morris, “even if you are an at-will...