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Impact of Shifting from At-Will to Just Cause Employment in Ithaca

The City of Ithaca has formed a Special Committee of the Common Council to investigate the implications of ending At-Will employment in the city and implementing Just-Cause employment.

At-Will employment allows employers to terminate employees at any time for any legal reason without notice, while employees can also leave at any time. Just Cause employment requires employers to provide a legitimate, job-related, and proven reason for termination (such as misconduct or poor performance)

To gather updated data for consideration by the Common Council, the Tompkins Chamber, Downtown Ithaca Alliance, and Ithaca Area Economic Development are reaching out to community partners, members, and businesses to determine the impacts this shift will have on businesses and mission-driven organizations.
All answers will be gathered in aggregate, and no identifying information will be shared in the final report. This survey is intended to be completed by the person responsible for hiring and managing the employees on your team. If that is not your role, please share this with the correct person in your organization. Please complete this survey no later than 7pm on March 20, 2026.

Thank you!
1.Is your business/organization located within the City of Ithaca?
2.How many full-time employees do you have as of 2/28/2026?
3.How many part-time employees do you have as of 2/28/2026?
4.How many seasonal employees do you employ for more than 90 days each year?
5.Do you employ contract workers or use a temporary employment agency for staffing needs?
6.Do you plan a reduction in workers in 2026?
7.How many workers voluntarily separated from your organization in 2025?
8.How many workers involuntarily separated from your organization in 2025?
9.Did the rate of involuntary separations increase, decrease, or remain consistent year over year?
10.Do you operate more than one location?
11.If you operate more than one location, how many are in the City of Ithaca?
12.Are you in the Downtown Business Improvement District/DIA’s boundaries?
13.Do you follow a progressive disciplinary system with your employees?
14.If yes, who is responsible for developing corrective plans for the employee?
15.Do you have a full-time dedicated Human Resources manager?
16.Do you currently have an employee handbook?
17.How would your business/organization be impacted if the City of Ithaca passed legislation shifting from At-Will employment regulations to Just Cause employment regulations?
18.When would that impact be experienced?
19.Do you own or rent the physical space where your business/organization is located?
20.How much does your business/organization contribute annually to the City of Ithaca monetarily through the following?

This anonymous information will be used to highlight the economic impact of businesses and organizations.
0-$1,000
$1,001-$2,500
$2,501-$5,000
$5,001-$10,000
$10,001-plus
a. Sales tax
b. Business Improvement District fees
c. Property taxes
d. Parking passes for employees
e. Other
21.How would your long-term vision/business plan shift, should At-Will employment end in the City of Ithaca?