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From: mcgeer%sirius.Berkeley.EDU@UCBVAX.BERKELEY.EDU
Newsgroups: mod.politics
Subject: Re:  Firing
Message-ID: <12263065490.2.MCGREW@RED.RUTGERS.EDU>
Date: Mon, 15-Dec-86 16:10:39 EST
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Posted: Mon Dec 15 16:10:39 1986
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        Yes, I do oppose those laws. It has been so long now since I
sent the mail that I have forgotten the context; I believe that it had
something to do with drug testing.

        Anyway, while I agree with you in general, I think your
argument needs a little work.  Most employers can dismiss employees
during or following a short "probationary" period and show little or
no cause; hence an employer can try out a new employee with less risk
than you imply (of course, the expense of hiring new employees is
still substantial, what with SS benefits, Federal and state
checkoffs...but I digress).

        The major point is still this.  Employers have a hard time
establishing to a court that employees aren't doing an adequate job.
So long as employers can't can people for arbitrary reasons, you're
going to have things like widespread drug testing.  Why?  Courts may
not accept "he was doing a lousy job" as adequate for dismissal, but
"he snorted enough cocaine to choke a medium-sized horse" ought to do
the trick.

        Liberals take note: *this* is the effect of labour protection
and civil rights legislation.  I wonder how our friends in the ADA,
the ACLU and the AFL-CIO feel now?  Of course, if they regretted, this
would imply that liberals can learn -- in which case, of course,
they'd be conservatives.

        This message brought to you courtesy of Redbusters.

                                                -- Rick.
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