As an employee, your time and skills are your personal capital (your means of production). The way you invest that capital has risk like any other investment.
Again, this is partially mitigated by salary. But as an employee, you probably don't expect to earn your negotiated starting salary for the next 40 years. You enter the relationship expecting some form of advancement, bonus, or other rewards in relation to your performance over time. Those expected returns don't manifest when the employer turns out to be a bad employer. Employers are not the only ones taking risks.
Returns to your productive capital being less than expected is quite different than being jobless. Though that is the worst-case outcome.
Asking about those advancement opportunities up front is very important during the interview stage. Getting it in your contract is even more important.
I agree that the employee takes risks when choosing an employer. I was confused about the scope of upside expectations.
Again, this is partially mitigated by salary. But as an employee, you probably don't expect to earn your negotiated starting salary for the next 40 years. You enter the relationship expecting some form of advancement, bonus, or other rewards in relation to your performance over time. Those expected returns don't manifest when the employer turns out to be a bad employer. Employers are not the only ones taking risks.