‘at-will’ doctrine
From the class discussion, the side that seems more logical is to avoid the use of ‘at-will' doctrine. I agree with the post that the Regional Hospital should not adopt ‘at-will' doctrine since employees will not focus on work but rather, they will develop the fear that anytime they can be fired. Thus, they will change their behaviors, they will not take risks, they will lack job security, they will increase financial stress, and they increase conflict with co-workers. As a result, employers will be hurt by the failure of employees to improve performance (Hudson & Ferguson, 2013). The at-will doctrine allow both employees and employers to terminate employment at will. In most cases, employers can terminate employment for good reason or for no legal reason. This means that there is a power disparity in that employer has more power to dismiss and replace an employee (Hudson & Ferguson, 2013). The Regional Hospital should consider issues such as uncertainty that may occur when an employer terminates job without notice and when an employee leaves the organization without notice. Note that when an employer notice that a certain employee is under-performing, the manager can terminate the employment immediately. Similarly, if employees notice that the working environment is not friendly, they can quit immediately and find new positions. Rather than adopting at-will doctrine, the Regional Hospital should adopt employment contracts and involve other parties such as the labor union and form an agreement concerning employment issues. The Regional Hospital should create a culture that connects employers and employees, a culture that motivates the employees to focus on their passion and increase performance, and a culture that encourages the organizational members to focus on mission and vision for the organization to succeed and enjoy a competitive advantage (Hudson & Ferguson, 2013).
Reference
Hudson, D. L., & Ferguson, R. N. (2013). The handy history answer book. Canton, MI: Visible
Ink Press.
