Waiving Job Security

I would like to thank Keith Bradsher for his timely article “Firms Ask That Workers Waive Job Security” (Part I, July 31). Although the method used to fire me was not the one used to fire N. Lee Pullins, the time has come to address the artful ways that employers have devised to rid themselves of employees who no longer fit the ever-changing “image” of the modern company.

In my case, my job, from being one of responsibility and initiative, was reduced to one of such mediocrity that I could no longer stay on. Seven others left the company at about the same time under similar conditions. Like Pullins, I had been with the company since its inception and had helped nurture it from a company with a payroll of six to one issuing stock and employing 65. We were no different from many companies starting out--we were a group of enthusiastic, conscientious people giving extra hours and hanging in through the bad times. Gradually the company grew, still maintaining in its employees that sense of building something worthwhile. We were the kind of employees every company should want to hire and keep.

The only aspect I found lacking in this article was any acknowledgment of the loss of these traits that will result from insisting on employees signing the new (or not so new, as it turns out) “employment-at-will” clause. Can we expect employees to give any more than is minimally required if they know that they can be fired on a whim at anytime? While acknowledging the possible emotional judgment on the part of juries toward the employee in some cases, it seems to me we are moving rapidly toward a situation where an employee will at best give the minimum to any job. At worst, they may feel themselves to be in such a perilous position that they may take unorthodox measures to ensure some sort of stability for the future.

In short, it seems short-sighted and very destructive to effectively stamp out loyalty, honesty, individuality and peace of mind in the vast numbers of people who keep this country going. Taken to its logical conclusion, we are condoning a work force of robots where we had a work force of drive and innovation.

Where am I? Is this still America?

GIL SHORR

North Hollywood