I am standing here with an IT Tech. I understand that the business you work for has recently outsourced their IT department to an IT support Austin.

IT : That is correct.

So are you going to loose your job?

IT : I am not sure about that. My department has certainly downsized since the outsourcing but we still have equipment here that requires on the spot maintenance and servicing. So I think they will keep me around to serve that function.

Have they promised you that your position is secure for the foreseeable future?

IT : In today’s corporate environment there are no guarantees of employment without a contract. All employees are considered “at will” employees by law which means the employee can quit at any time for any reason and the employer can fire the employee at any time for any reason.

That arrangement seems to favor the employer more than the employee.

IT : You can look at it that way. But if an employee has valuable skills he or she can shop them around to whoever is willing to pay the most for them.

That assumes that the economy is running under normal parameters. If the economy is sluggish it might not matter how good your skills are. You still might find yourself in a position where you cannot find a job.

IT : That is true and I have been certainly thinking about that ever since my company outsourced its IT department to a managed IT services Austin. However I guess in this day and age employees either have to try harder or become entrepreneurs if they want job security.

Right. It just seems like a tenuous situation in which to build a life where the flow of income can be disrupted at any point.