Business ethics course
There is an ongoing political debate about the usefulness of legislating a living wage. The federal government addresses the issue to some extent through minimum wage guidelines. However, many cities move beyond this and legislate a living wage that allows people to pay for necessities and have enough money to live above the poverty level. I don't believe anyone would argue that it is good that people who work still live in poverty. Although, we could get into a discussion about the value of the job they do for the organization. Some would argue that there is a need for employees that live below the poverty level to increase their overall skill sets to increase their value to their organization, leading to a higher pay scale. In this activity, we will discuss the complex arguments surrounding a living wage movement.
Next, reflect upon the following:
- Choose the most applicable ethics theory and apply it to the issue described in the article. .
- What do you see as critical to a strong solution that this theory ignores? .
•How does the choice of approach (based on theory) impact the decisions made by organizational leaders related to providing all employees a living wage? Put yourself in the role of the organizational leaders. .
Address the following in your primary discussion post:
- What role do ethics play in the discussion surrounding providing all employees a living wage? .
- What negative effects are there when government legislates a minimum wage and a living wage? .
•Are businesses responsible for providing a living wage regardless of the value of the job?