[nolok]

Who decides "what workers deserve" ?

The way I see it, if you want something fair it can't be solely the worker nor solely the employer.

And the governement would be too easy to be pushed too far one way or the other, depending on political climate.

Which is why unions should be pushed more, so employers and employee can negotiate than on equal terms (and not employer versus single employee).

Not american, and that's how it is here, and frankly it's not perfect but it seems a lot better than hope your employer has some decency to give you breadcrumbs and if not oh well tough luck.

[laborundrstandr]

Presently Dell singularly decides without input from labor or the government

[nolok]

I am absolutely aware, which is why I'm asking you who you think should decide in this case ?

[The_Colonel]

Government has a say by creating legal framework governing how layoffs work.

[laborundrstandr]

They opted for at will employment which means they almost universally defer to business in practice.

[reaperman]

Can you recommend any companies I can apply to with an option to “opt” for just-cause employment? Would be very impressed if you could list any companies offering “just-cause” employment with >=12,500 employees that these laid-off employees could have “opted” for.

Or does that not exist?

At first glance, it seems equivalent to “well, they opted to work on planet Earth”, with the implication that they could have opted to work on the moon or Mars or the ISS - as in, for the most part those options don’t actually exist, and where they do, there are a very limited number of jobs available (on the ISS), so that in fact not all of the 12,500 people could have opted to work there.