• chiliedogg@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    3
    arrow-down
    6
    ·
    8 months ago

    No. You can almost never sue. At-Will employment is the standard almost everywhere.

    But you can typically claim unemployment if you’re terminated without cause.

    • yannic@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      8 months ago

      The United States of America is the only country with At-Will employment. Far from ‘everywhere’.

      • chiliedogg@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        8 months ago

        They may call it different things different places, but many places have a similar setup.

        People can be terminated with cause at no penalty. If they are terminated without cause, the employer has to pay unemployment. If they’re terminated illegally (e.g. discrimination or for union organization) they can be sued.

        The vast majority of the time an employer cannot be sued just for firing you, but that’s because there are other consequences for termination of an employee without cause that don’t need to go to court.

        • systemglitch@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          8 months ago

          In Canada there has to be a valid reason to fire someone. However, you can always lay someone off. Two similiar, but quite different things.

          • chiliedogg@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            8 months ago

            That’s essentially At-Will employment. If you don’t have cause in the US, it’s a layoff and you have to pay unemployment. If you do, then they’re fired and you don’t.

            • systemglitch@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              2
              ·
              8 months ago

              “for any reason, without notice” is a part of at-will. That’s illegal here. So I don’t think it’s the same.

              • chiliedogg@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                1
                ·
                8 months ago

                If you fire someone without notice or cause in Canada, what’s the punishment?

                In the US, it’s having to continue to pay them 60% of their salary without them having to actually work, and they don’t even have to take you to court. They can just file for unemployment.

                • systemglitch@lemmy.world
                  link
                  fedilink
                  English
                  arrow-up
                  1
                  arrow-down
                  1
                  ·
                  8 months ago

                  They have to pay a full severance package.

                  But there are loopholes of course and ways to potentially avoid that.