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Very few people have the resources to successfully sue their employer. Even if you did have the resources, do you want your name to show up on every Google sea

Very few people have the resources to successfully sue their employer. Even if you did have the resources, do you want your name to show up on every Google search as "the guy who sued his last employer" when you're job hunting? There is a lot of social pressure for people to just shut up and take whatever their bosses give them.

JohnFen 3y ago
> Very few people have the resources to successfully sue their employer. In general, sure (although in most US states you can get lots of assistance), but in the HN crowd? I expect that the majority of people here make good money and can afford to do this. > do you want your name to show up on every Google search as "the guy who sued his last employer" when you're job hunting? Why not? Most employers aren't going to be searching for such lawsuits in the first place, and it's not likely to hurt you with the ones that do (unless they're shady, in which case -- bullet dodged). > There is a lot of social pressure for people Absolutely true, but it's still a choice the employee is making. My point is that a contract does have value beyond the paper its printed on, but the enforcement of it is up to the parties who signed the contract. Choosing not to enforce a contract you're a part of doesn't mean the value isn't there, it means you're opting not to make use of that value.
mikestew 3y ago
Very few people have the resources to successfully sue their employer. Amazon office workers generally do. As for the Google search, I’ve been a hiring manager in the past, and usually part of an interview team at any company I’ve worked at for the last 20 years, and I’ve never heard of such a thing. Maybe it shows up in a background check, who knows. But I would think it would have come up at least once. Regardless, the contract is obviously worth more than the paper, as you’ve already pointed out. We are just arguing about the consequences.

JohnFen 3y ago

> Very few people have the resources to successfully sue their employer. In general, sure (although in most US states you can get lots of assistance), but in the HN crowd? I expect that the majority of people here make good money and can afford to do this. > do you want your name to show up on every Google search as "the guy who sued his last employer" when you're job hunting? Why not? Most employers aren't going to be searching for such lawsuits in the first place, and it's not likely to hurt you with the ones that do (unless they're shady, in which case -- bullet dodged). > There is a lot of social pressure for people Absolutely true, but it's still a choice the employee is making. My point is that a contract does have value beyond the paper its printed on, but the enforcement of it is up to the parties who signed the contract. Choosing not to enforce a contract you're a part of doesn't mean the value isn't there, it means you're opting not to make use of that value.

mikestew 3y ago

Very few people have the resources to successfully sue their employer. Amazon office workers generally do. As for the Google search, I’ve been a hiring manager in the past, and usually part of an interview team at any company I’ve worked at for the last 20 years, and I’ve never heard of such a thing. Maybe it shows up in a background check, who knows. But I would think it would have come up at least once. Regardless, the contract is obviously worth more than the paper, as you’ve already pointed out. We are just arguing about the consequences.