As a full-time employee, can my employer cut my workload to starve me out?
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As a full-time employee, can my employer cut my workload to starve me out?
My employer doesn’t fire employees, instead they opt to starve the individual employee out of work until they either quit or disappear entirely. Other full-time
employees continue work as normal as there is usually still a workload.
Asked on October 10, 2018 under Employment Labor Law, Washington
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 5 years ago | Contributor
Unless you have a written employment contract guarantying you a certain number of hours or amount of work or a certain wage, yes, they can do this. Without a written contract, you are an "employee at will." An employee at will has NO rights to his/her job--no right to work, to have the job, to get a certain number of hours or certain salary/wages, etc. An employer may terminate the employee at will, or simply reduce the hours until they decide they need a different job. Legally, you have no protection for your position or amount of work.
It doesn't matter if other workers are still receiving their full workload; the law does not require employers to treat employees the same or fairly.
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