Undecided

Cat missile: engaged 

1. if you get the “answer my call” text, NEVER ANSWER THE CALL. 

They are calling you because they want to have the conversation verbally, and be able to lie later about what they said or didn’t say. Force them to continue via text or email- force them to continue the conversation in writing or not at all. 

2. “Lack of 2 weeks notice is unprofessional!” or the other version, “Not providing notice is illegal!”

No it isn’t. Neither is true. 

And in the US, all states except Montana are “at will” employment (though you may hear an employer refer to it as “right to work” to make it sound better, it’s the same thing). Sure, at-will employment means they can fire you without cause, BUT! It also means that you are not legally required to give a reason for quitting, or to give notice of any kind. 

Is it polite to give notice when you can? Sure. Do bosses expect it? Absolutely. But that does not make you legally required to provide it. 

3. The only thing I would change in the worker’s interaction here was their response when initially asked to come in. 

Employee: “Hey Mark. Sorry I’m unable to cover the shift tonight because I’m studying for my exam tomorrow.” 

Don’t give a reason for your lack of availability. It may be tempting to. You may feel rude if you don’t. 

DON’T DO IT.

You do not owe your boss any information about what you do off the clock, and any reason you give will only ever be used against you. 

Boss: “Hey I need you to cover Jasper’s shift tonight.”

Employee: “Sorry, I’m not available.”

And leave it at that. 

Do not elaborate. 

Do not offer additional information. 

When you boss asks you to elaborate, because they will, be polite but firm. “With respect, that’s personal. I’m sorry, but I’m unavailable to cover this shift/work late/come in early/etc.”

Be a broken record- you’re unavailable. That’s the only information they need to know, and it’s the only information they have a LEGAL RIGHT to know. 

At-Will States

It means that your employment contract exists only as long as you and your employer both want it to exist. Both of you can break it at almost any time for almost any reason. Hence why it is ‘at-will’ and can be easily broken.

The only exceptions are specific protections defined in law, such as those found in anti-discrimination laws. You cannot fire someone on the basis of their sex, race, or religion, for example.

These kinds of laws aren’t inherently anti-union, but without unions we have to make sure we have robust anti-discrimination and anti-labor busting laws to compensate, otherwise businesses will take any advantage they can get to exploit workers using an at-will contract.

Right-To-Work States

It means you have a ‘right to work in a shop without joining the union’ and these laws exist only to reduce the amount of power that unions have to bargain for worker rights.

Any right-to-work law exists to allow an employer to hire someone who doesn’t care about everyone else in the workplace suffering as long as they can get a paycheck. As a result they get a smaller paycheck than if they joined the union while also making sure that the union members get a smaller paycheck too.

༺Sibella Dracula🦇༻