What Is Sweatshop Labor Ethical
Labor Practices
Brenna Heyne
PHL/320
02/16/2015
Todd Goodling
Sweatshop Labor
Sweatshop labor can be described as work that is performed under conditions that violate normal standards of minimum wage, employment, worker treatment, and workplace health or safety (Govekar, 2006). Sweatshops can exist anywhere and some may argue they can be beneficial and driven by market demands. In my opinion sweatshop labor is unethical and should not be allowed to be used to produce products for any business. Businesses have a lot of things to keep in mind when making decisions but whether their actions are ethical or not should always being something that is considered.
Consumer Demand
Consumer demand can directly impact how companies make business decisions. Consumer demand can dictate the production of goods, which can cause companies to look towards the bottom line in order to maximize profits while minimizing cost. The cost of cheap labor can be appealing when on a budget. This can lead companies to make decisions that are considered unethical. I feel that every person’s health and safety should be put first. There are many companies that have high consumer demand that find ethical ways to provide …show more content…
their products to their consumers without hiring people to work in sweatshops.
Ethical Perspectives
Ethical decision making can be guided by each individual’s ethical perspective.
While each perspective has its own strengths, it also has its own weaknesses. Some people would argue that sweatshop labor is providing people with jobs that cannot find work elsewhere. While this is true, it does not make it right. Immigrants and illegal aliens are accepting these jobs because they do not have any other options. The fact of the matter is that putting these people to work in sweatshops is still unethical. They are still human beings and deserve to be provided with a safe place to work that meets all legal requirements. People will always have different opinions on every matter but ethics should always be considered in the decision making
process.
Ethical Environment
Companies that develop a code of ethics and make decisions within that framework are influencing their ethical environment. This includes decisions made at both the company and individual levels. It is important that companies find means of evaluating how ethical and socially responsible their decisions are and take actions when unethical decisions are made to protect their corporate culture and reputation. If a company makes unethical decisions, the public can lose respect for that company which can result in the loose of people supporting the business. When a company acts ethically it sets a good example to the environment around them.
Conclusion
While many decisions a company makes may be legal, they may violate ethical norms. Companies should be aware of how ethical their decisions are and the effect those decisions have on their customers, employees, and society. Using sweatshop labor may be beneficial in cutting costs in a business but the health and safety of people are being put at risk. I feel that a company making unethical decisions, like using sweatshop labor, can affect the appearance and respect others have for the company.
References
Govekar, M. (2006). Sweatshop labor. In J. Greenhaus, & G. Callanan (Eds.), Encyclopedia of career development. (pp. 793-796). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. doi: http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/10.4135/9781412952675.n274
Brenna Heyne
PHL/320
02/16/2015
Todd Goodling
Sweatshop Labor
Sweatshop labor can be described as work that is performed under conditions that violate normal standards of minimum wage, employment, worker treatment, and workplace health or safety (Govekar, 2006). Sweatshops can exist anywhere and some may argue they can be beneficial and driven by market demands. In my opinion sweatshop labor is unethical and should not be allowed to be used to produce products for any business. Businesses have a lot of things to keep in mind when making decisions but whether their actions are ethical or not should always being something that is considered.
Consumer Demand
Consumer demand can directly impact how companies make business decisions. Consumer demand can dictate the production of goods, which can cause companies to look towards the bottom line in order to maximize profits while minimizing cost. The cost of cheap labor can be appealing when on a budget. This can lead companies to make decisions that are considered unethical. I feel that every person’s health and safety should be put first. There are many companies that have high consumer demand that find ethical ways to provide …show more content…
their products to their consumers without hiring people to work in sweatshops.
Ethical Perspectives
Ethical decision making can be guided by each individual’s ethical perspective.
While each perspective has its own strengths, it also has its own weaknesses. Some people would argue that sweatshop labor is providing people with jobs that cannot find work elsewhere. While this is true, it does not make it right. Immigrants and illegal aliens are accepting these jobs because they do not have any other options. The fact of the matter is that putting these people to work in sweatshops is still unethical. They are still human beings and deserve to be provided with a safe place to work that meets all legal requirements. People will always have different opinions on every matter but ethics should always be considered in the decision making
process.
Ethical Environment
Companies that develop a code of ethics and make decisions within that framework are influencing their ethical environment. This includes decisions made at both the company and individual levels. It is important that companies find means of evaluating how ethical and socially responsible their decisions are and take actions when unethical decisions are made to protect their corporate culture and reputation. If a company makes unethical decisions, the public can lose respect for that company which can result in the loose of people supporting the business. When a company acts ethically it sets a good example to the environment around them.
Conclusion
While many decisions a company makes may be legal, they may violate ethical norms. Companies should be aware of how ethical their decisions are and the effect those decisions have on their customers, employees, and society. Using sweatshop labor may be beneficial in cutting costs in a business but the health and safety of people are being put at risk. I feel that a company making unethical decisions, like using sweatshop labor, can affect the appearance and respect others have for the company.
References
Govekar, M. (2006). Sweatshop labor. In J. Greenhaus, & G. Callanan (Eds.), Encyclopedia of career development. (pp. 793-796). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. doi: http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/10.4135/9781412952675.n274