I don't want to push too hard, because it may be against HN code, but how many workplace disputes were you a part of and was it in US? I think it is a relevant question here though.
At-will employment is standard in 49/50 US states, and this forum is almost entirely American, so that is safe to assume by default. If you have a counterexample to share (where someone successfully sued a company to enforce terms of an at-will contract) then why don't you?
It's not necessarily about being fired or not; it's about being fired for cause or not.
Even in at-will states, you typically need to be fired without cause to be eligible for unemployment benefits. If you quit because you don't want to return to office or are fired for refusing to return to office, you get nothing; if they fire you for not returning to office when your contract says you are allowed to WFH, you remain eligible for unemployment and perhaps severance.
Huh? That is one weird take. You are entitled to unemployment insurance, because you pay into that insurance pool. You may have to fight over the grey area every so often, because life happens, but how I feel about myself have nothing to do with it.
To be frank, I am struggling to understand your perspective. Could you elaborate?
I'm just saying reading the entire comment chain went from an optimistic statement to...well at least you have the bare minimum benefits that society offers (if you are an avid negotiator).
I mean, the point of contract negotiation is to use your being hot shit to bond the other party when you're not.
If you're never in demand, you never have the leverage to negotiate; if you're always in demand, what you have in your contract probably doesn't matter, because everyone will be falling over themselves to keep you happy.
