WWYD: Consigning Bad Jobs to Others
‘œEthics is not definable, is not implementable, because it is not conscious; it involves not only our thinking, but also our feeling.’ ‘“ Valdemar W. Setzer
Randy Cohen writes The Ethicist Column for The New York Times Magazine and recently a reader asked, ‘œIs it ethical to order food for delivery during a thunderstorm? If I’m doing it to avoid going outside and getting wet or struck by lightning, isn’t it wrong to have somebody else (with little agency to refuse) do it in my place?’
His response: ‘œAs someone who seldom mines his own coal, I’m in no position to condemn those who consign difficult, dangerous or simply miserably uncomfortable jobs to others.’ Click over to continue reading and learn how one can do so in an ethical manner.
The question brings up an interesting topic for this week’s What Would You Do post. Consider the number of undesirable tasks that we push on others by paying them to do it.
Several months ago during the minimum wage debate, Robert E. Andrews, New Jersey Representative, urged his peers before the vote, ‘œThis is the day for the people who empty the bedpans, change the bed linens, sweep the floors and do the hardest work of America.’
I previously wrote a post about feeling guilty using Netflix because they pay their workers $9.00 per hour ‘“ the ones that touch millions of ‘œthose ubiquitous red pre-paid envelopes‘ so we can receive movies in the mail. Most of the reader comments concluded that it was fair pay for unskilled work happening in those Netflix hubs. The point of that post really was to pose the question about what equates to a living wage. People went off on me. Really though, could you live on $9.00 per hour?
Americans pay people to do a lot of unpleasant jobs in this country. Personally, we pay a woman to clean our house. We tried to save money and live without her services once and that lasted less than 30 days. We just didn’t want to spend our weekends cleaning our toilets. But is it fair to pay her to do it?
And if so, how can we do so ethically? In the comments section below name the unpleasant things that you pay people to do. When is okay? When is it not? You decide.
It’s one of the simplest rules of capitalism; if someone’s willing to do it for that amount of money then it’s not unfair. You’re not forcing your cleaner to clean for you; you both see the trade as fair and are willing to participate. If it was so demeaning or poorly paid and a waste of the cleaner’s time, she wouldn’t do it.
What unpleasant jobs do I pay people for? I suppose I indirectly pay farmers to grow my vegetables. I would hate to live in the countryside growing vegetables so I feel sorry for the farmers.
I see your point explicitly. Here’s the problem: would it be worse of you to fire your maid? That’s one less employer she has and less money to put food on the table. While I think it is woeful that unskilled labors make such petty pay for thankless jobs, many of them have immigrated from countries where they’d be making significantly less.
I’m currently working on a research paper for a class on The Latino Community in the US. My thesis has to do with why people come here. I’ve done quite a few interviews and without fail, every person (male or female) gives the same reason for coming: to work. One person related to me that in Mexico, they were working six days a week and only making the equivalent to eighty dollars. Here, he makes almost that much in a day and with much better working conditions.
In the thunderstorm dilemma, I imagine that the delivery person looks forward to such weather because he/she probably always makes more in tips on those days.
When it comes to people who make low wages, I say to research companies that pay employees a fair and livable wage and patronize them. A lot of people overlook that workers who pick organic produce often receive higher pay and have better working conditions, so that’s one way to help. Also, avoid minimum wage empires like Target and Wal-Mart and opt instead for Costco where employees make a very high wage and have much more accessible and affordable medical benefits.
There are lots of dirty jobs, and those who do them should be compensated appropriately. You don’t need to feel guilty for having a housekeeper as long as you think her rate is fair. She is making money and you are saving time and energy; it is win-win.
Sure, this is a capitalist country, but that is a poor excuse for paying workers less than they deserve. Nine dollars an hour is ludicrous considering the boatloads of money that Netflix rakes in! No one in that company should be making that little. Hopefully they get free movies, in addition. I think it’s flat out immoral to exploit workers in the name of supply and demand. It is possible to make money and pay employees fairly.
The federal minimum wage is $5.85 per hour. Middle class parents would not leave their children with a baby sitter who they paid $5.85. They’d be terrified they were getting what they paid for.
That said, I’m much less worried about American teens making $5.85 an hour, than I am about a mom or dad who is trying to support a family working two or three of those types of jobs. People who have no other options in their community, will and do take jobs that pay $7 or $8/hr, and economic theories that declare they have a choice are sometimes just that… theoretical.
I do not think minimum wage is a living wage, but think the worst exploitation I am involved in is when I buy products the price of which reflects labor costs that amount to indentured servitude, if not slavery. Generally, these are products produced in developing nations, and most frequently for me, include clothing. (I also don’t pay for environmental protection or QC inspectors, so those products are really a deal!)
Lately, when I have a choice, I try to consider these issues and pay a bit more for products (since I can afford to). Frankly, I probably spend too much on stuff I don’t need anyhow.
Alec: You’re right, it is the simplest rule of capitalism. However, that said, supply and demand comes into play. For example, my monthly lawn service bill is less than what my family pays in a week back in the Midwest. In Southern California, the competition drives down price and the workers are willing to do it for less to get the business.
Vixen: You make a valid point. They do come here to work. And it’s not just the Hispanic population. My cleaning person is a Polish immigrant and she is here for the same reason.
Charlie: I too was shocked to learn about the wages of the Netflix hub employees. I recently canceled our membership, not to make some moral statement, but we weren’t using it enough to warrant the monthly charge. I liked the convenience and if we ever get to a place again with more regular movie watching, well, I should think twice about using them based on how I feel about their wage practices.
Pat: I agree that the minimum wage is not a living wage. I wrote about it here during the minimum wage debates last January.
Alec is right on the money here (no pun intended). If someone is working for that wage, it’s usually because that is the best option available to them. The same applies to Pat’s point about developing nations. People love to refer to such places as “sweat shops”, but the reason people in developing nations work in them is because they pay better wages than other options. It’s especially sad to see people attacking child labor in places where the alternative is starving children.
Be cautious applying your own values to someone else’s decision to work for a certain wage. What amounts to an awful wage for you might be a great opportunity for someone else, especially when that person is young, unskilled, and lacks experience.
It may well be the best option available to them, that doesn’t mean it’s actually a good option.