this post was submitted on 08 Jul 2025
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I think maybe you don’t understand the difference between exempt and non-exempt employees here in the US. The law absolutely backs employers up on this unfortunately. Especially if, like me, you live in an at-will state.
Exempt employees are expected to get their work done, but the work does need to be reasonable. If they give you 40 hours of meetings you can have a good case they are asking too much to expect anything more. While hours are not given by law, there is still an expectation of reasonableness.
Which is to say they cannot fire you for not getting your work done. However at-will means they can let you go - but that is not firing you for cause and there is a big difference in how the law treats that.
I wish I still had your optimism and naivety. Last time this happened to me I was let go for “not fitting in with the culture” (the aforementioned culture of working all day), which is a completely legal reason in my state. I was denied unemployment despite being able to prove that I had been told to work all night. 10 years earlier I was let go for the same reason after refusing to participate in prayer during a meeting.
There is no protection for employees in the manner you are speaking of, at least not here.
Asking about the culture and work environment is what you are supposed to be doing when they ask "are there any questions". I've never had a problem finding a job where I'm expected to work about 40 hours and go home. Once in a while they ask for extra work in an emergency, but that is rare and they have all made it up to me somehow.
The protection isn't great I'll agree, but it isn't hard to find places that don't treat you like that. Don't work for the rest no matter how interesting the job is.
I am glad it hasn’t been hard for you. Pretty much everybody I know has moved to other states because of how bad the jobs are here. I would if I could afford it.