The entire US is not at-will employment. And companies with strong employee unions do not have this issue of suddenly and without notice firing their staff...
> And companies with strong employee unions do not have this issue of suddenly and without notice firing their staff...
Lots of people don't work at a place with a union, and don't have access to unionized employment due to industry, current geography, etc. Also we're seeing a huge anti-union push by a lot of interests right now, recently notable being Starbucks.
Companies doing layoffs often give 2 weeks notice in the form of a 2 week severance check and escorting them out. This is for good reason - very few people are productive as a short timer, and some are even destructive.
I'm not saying companies good employees bad. I'm saying these things cut both ways all the time.
As usual, a stinker here and there ruins it for everyone.
If anything, it's the employee with more power.
Employees have special rights. For example, meeting payroll is the first priority of any employer. Any disruption on that and the state will hammer the employer into a pulp. Employees have all sorts of legal advantages in pressing frivolous lawsuits against employers. I've had lawyers from BigCorp tell me they just settle the frivolous ones, because it's far cheaper than going to court, especially with the court heavily biased against them. The suing employees know this, which is why they do it.
Employees can walk away at their whim. They can walk away if they don't like the cut of your jib, or because they don't want to work for a woman, or for any racist reason they feel like. An employer cannot.
Employee candidates can ask any question they like of the potential employer. Not so the other way.