“At-Will”

          It is Thursday morning, and you are walking through the door to work. Regular routine, saying hello to everyone but you notice some concerning looks here and there. Just shrug it off, maybe they got bad news? You get to your office or work area and are immediately called into the manager’s office. Maybe they are going to take you up on that proposal you pushed earlier that week! Next thing you know, you are handed a paper check from someone who can’t even look you in the eyes when they ‘wish you the best’ and are instructed to gather your belongings and vacate the premises.

          Congratulations, you live in one of the 49 states that are ‘at-will’ employment. Unless you live in Montana, it does not matter how long you have worked there or what you have accomplished; you can be terminated at any given time for any ‘reason’ they choose to give, if you’re lucky enough to get a “reason”. This is the amazing country we live in.

          We are expected to give our best and commit out everything, typically putting our families and ourselves in the rear-view, then at the drop of a hat it is finished. 18 years and 3 months in, it is more convenient to let your go and split your salary between 3 new hires all for the good of the company. Meanwhile, during your time there you have had at least 216 arguments with your spouse, missed over 100 ball games, plays or musicals and left a hole in your family’s life that can’t be repaired. Remember, you can never get time back.

          What happened America? This use to be a land ‘for the people, by the people’. We were close-nit and not afraid to help each-other out. Now, you hold a door open for a lady, you’re a “sexist”? Don’t spend all day talking and actually get work done, you’re “not personable”? Request time off and refuse to go in when you are called during that time because you are spending time with your family, you’re “not a team player”?

          How about we stand up and make the grease-balls at the top earn their spots? The president of the United States has a limit to how long he may serve, and can be impeached at any point in time (at least there’s an ‘at-will’ equality there), yet Governors, Mayors, Judges, District Attorneys, Sheriffs, Police Chiefs, etc. can stay as long as they want? American’s want to change everything because “change if growth”, why haven’t we changed this? I’m a firm believer if ‘it isn’t broke, don’t fix it”, and if it is broken enough then don’t even try to fix it, just get rid of it and try something else. You could do worse, but you could also do a lot better.

          The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and expecting a different result, according to our beloved Albert Einstein. So why don’t we wise up and change something that ACTUALLY matters?