I’m training to be an amazon driver lmfao, but I’m actually sorta looking forward to it cause it means I don’t have to spend all day interfacing with customers. I never actually stated my gender identity anywhere but I still pretty much look like a dude and everyone just defaulted to he/him for me and I don’t bother correcting them.
Thing is, even though we’re in Los Angeles, about as Progressive as you can get, and I literally did a module about inclusion and respecting transgender coworkers as part of my training, I’m an at will employee and therefore all the assurances that it would be illegal to fire me because of protected status means nothing because my contract explicitly says I can be fired at any time for any or no reason.
The other thing is though, I’m a big softy and tomorrow and Thursday I’m gonna be riding along with someone all day so they could show me how it works, and in general all the people I’ve met with like the dispatchers have been super friendly and nice, and dammit I just like Making Friends rather than just doing the bare minimum socially but staying otherwise distant. Also it’s just a bit sad every time I get misgendered
So yeah. Should I follow the cynical instincts instilled in me by this site and stay closeted?
At will doesn't mean what people think it means. At will means you can be fired for no reason. It does not mean you can be fired for any reason. There are a whole host of reasons that are illegal to fire someone, and claiming you coincidentally didn't fire them for an illegal reason isn't some magic loophole either.
HOWEVER, whether these rules have teeth and will protect you, personally, depends on where you live, your own circumstances, your employer, etc etc.
I really can't say what makes sense from a practical perspective, but I think it's important for people to know that, legally, they do have rights and options, even if our de facto caste system means that many people won't actually be protected by those rights in practice.