Absent an employment contract or union agreement to the contrary, an employer can demote an employee, cut their pay and/or change their job title due to their looking for a new job. This is known as "at will" employment. The foregoing holds true unless such action is based on some form of legally actionable action discrimination or retaliation. This means that a worker must not receive less favorable treatment than other workers due to their inclusion in a legally "protected class" (i.e. based on their race, religion, nationality, age (over 40), disability or the like). Otherwise, not all employees need be treated the same or even fairly.