A truly spirited discussion has been taking place in the boss fires employee thread. Many posters have correctly pointed out that our founders were addressing the issue of tyranny from government, and not corporations or private influences. Obviously our lives are not what they were like in the 1700s. We've added more amendments than the original ten. Not only that, but there has been discussion of a federal protection of marriage amendment. If we are going to write in laws to help guide us through the 21st century, do we not need one for the workplace as well?

After combing the internet, I've found one prospect of an employees bill of rights that so far, business doesn't have to comply with, though I guess some do.

For those who are interested, the only rights that are protected are those people under written contracts and agreements with employers. Rights of due process before termination and other items are usually the product of union influenced businesses. Individuals who do not have contracts with employers are said to not possess those rights, at leats that's what I found on Findlaw.

Questions for debate:

1.)Do we need an "employees bill of rights"?

2.)What is your person opinion regarding the proposed rights at the given link?

I have to tell you I have reservations with some of these clauses...



What about cases where the employer has reasonable reason to assume that such expression will materially harm the company? While the case in the previous thread didn't seem to meet this degree in the slightest...suppose someone who traveled to customer sites had the same bumper sticker, and management learned they had lost a very large contract because of it? Ditto for people expressing their opinions too obtrusively or vocally within their workplace...this can clearly lead to issues.



This one I just have to laught at. What constitutes employee mail and computer services? The company owns the computer, the company provides the mail service. Both are solely for company purposes. What makes the computer any more the employee's than, say, the Xerox machine? Does the employer need to seek employee permission before doing anything to that? No, this is not a right...it is a wildly misplaced perception and expectation. You want to keep your boss from searching your mail? Use your own computer, at your own place, on your own time.



Employers don't have the right to cut costs and remain competetive? Even though this gives startups an inherent advantage, thereby likely costing said employees their jobs anyway?

OK, I've shown my conservative bias ....that being probably abundantly clear, I don't have issues with the other rights contained here, nor with the concept of an employee bill of rights in general...

I would have some of the same reservations as Hobbes. I think the Freedom of Personal Opinion should be restricted to non-work areas. What opinions I have or what I put on my bumper is none of my employer's business on my own time. I would agree entirely with Hobbes on the Right to Privacy in the Workplace - unless the employer had stipulated that computers could be used for personal reasons or that personal mail could be accepted at the work address. Computers for business use only and internal mail should not be so protected. And, yeah, I don't think the whole Right of First Party Support would fly. I guess I'm showing my conservative bias, as well. I'm a bit surprised, though, that there's no Right to Safety in the Workplace - it's certainly not guaranteed by law.

Apart from those objections, I too see nothing wrong with an Employee Bill of Rights. One thing which might appeal to other conservatives like myself is that such a Bill of Rights might reduce the demand for unionization...