Texas is an At Will Employment State

Oh, what fools we were when we were growing up. We couldn't wait to get out in the real world. We can do what we want when we want. Being an adult will be so great. Right? Who actually believed that? All of us.

Nobody will be able to tell us what to do. What garbage that was to believe. I feel everyone is telling us what to do. We also can't have cake and ice cream for dinner every night as I wanted. I mean, we can, but our health will suffer because of it.

So there is that. I think from the moment that I started working I heard the terms "Right to Work State" and "At-Will Employment." These are some of the categories our states fall into. Does it even matter?

Some people say yes. You get someone in Human Resources and I am sure they will definitely have an opinion. Texas is both a Right to Work State and also At-Will. So what does that even mean?

At-Will Employment

According to the Texas Workforce Commission website:

The basic rule of Texas employment law is employment at will, which applies to all phases of the employment relationship - it means that absent a statute or an express agreement (such as an employment contract) to the contrary, either party in an employment relationship may modify any of the terms or conditions of employment, or terminate the relationship altogether, for any reason, or no particular reason at all, with or without advance notice.

So basically you can be fired or quit a job for any reason. I mean it has to be a legal reason. They can't fire you because you refuse to perform a criminal act on their behalf. That is a no-no on so many levels.

Right to Work State

Also from the Texas Workforce Commission website:

Texas is also a right-to-work state - under the Texas right-to-work laws employment may not be conditioned or denied on the basis of membership or non-membership in a union.

So you don't have to join and pay dues to a union to work. So I guess that is a good thing. I have never been asked to join a Union. I don't think I would want to be a part of one anyway. I know they say membership has its privileges but I am ok not joining.

So Texas Law you have to love it. I am not sure if it is a benefit for me or not. Sure I can quit a job if I want. I get that. Yay me. I remember being told that they could fire me because they didn't like the shirt I was wearing. OK so maybe that is true but boy the 90's were a great time to work.

When now places are looking for good employees this was what we dealt with back then?