At-will employment

At-will employment means that an employer can terminate an employee at any time for any reason, or for no reason without incurring legal liability, as long as they don't discriminate in doing so. Likewise, an employee is free to leave a job at any time for any or no reason with no adverse legal consequences. 

As long as your employment isn't covered by a collective bargaining agreement, an individual employment contract or regulations that supersede Employment at Will, one could be fired at any moment, no matter how long he/she has held your job. Employment at Will sounds like a great deal for employers, but it's not. Employment at Will is a terrible thing for employers and their employees both.

1. It promotes "keep your boss happy" even if it is conflict with organization's interest.
2. It encourages employees to search for another job even when his problem could be resolved through frank and open communication.
3. Organization will get saddled with lousy managers, since lower rung employee's views never reaches the top.
4. It keeps employees focused on pleasing their direct supervisors and organization loses on breath taking ideas in trying new things by lower rung employees.
5. It kills the abilities of employees in collaboration, innovation and to try out new things. Employees can't be blamed for taking the safe route when their income is at stake.
6. It makes people shut up when they desperately want to speak that would benefit organization.
7. It gives supervisors and managers the idea that they are kings and queens in their little kingdoms. This idea promotes loyalty to a supervisor over idea-sharing, disruptive thinking or any other ambitious undertaking that squashes the potential of your team.
8. It disrupts the critical connection between employee and their passion for their work. That's harmful and expensive to your business. Employees are focused on guarding not to irritate their managers.
9. It keeps the organization mired in fear, lacking trust.
10. Managers & HR team uses Employment at Will as a cudgel against their employees.

Organizations can step out of Employment at Will simply by using a higher standard for employee discipline and termination. The more clearly and consistently organization shows to its employees that merely speaking up or having a different opinion from their boss will not get them in trouble, the more trust will grow in the organization. To lead through trust instead of fear, managers must be trained to coach and lead not to ride herd on their employees. Smart employers grab the best talent, pay them well and treat them well while on board.

The chief business of Americans is business

This is a trait in US, where people are well educated, well informed and have social security cover. The same has been copied by Indian IT industry and suits their policy deficits in their HR practices. During down turns lay offs are common these days without any kind of fair policy leading to heart burns among laid off employees at times doing their job well and way above in the merit order. Many times the laid off employees have family to support and repay bank loan EMIs and loss of job creates turbulence at home. Companies who resort to reckless layoffs will suffer loss of reputation and are avoided during recruitment drives. It helps a lot for companies to have policies and procedures that may be followed in different circumstances which goes long way avoiding troubles and safeguarding reputation.