The following questions emerge from and refer back to the arguments made in my article When Business “Viability” Comes at Human Cost. They highlight the key ethical issues the article addresses.
On Work and Human Dignity
- What does it say about us that we accept, and even expect, that certain kinds of work will not support the people who perform it?
- Do we truly believe that all work has dignity if some work is structured in a way that makes survival difficult?
- Is it ever justifiable to treat people as disposable means to an end in a market economy?
On Business Viability and Responsibility
- Should a business be considered viable if it can only survive by paying workers less than they need to live?
- Who truly bears the costs when wages are too low—workers, taxpayers, communities, or businesses themselves in the long run?
- What might happen if we expanded our definition of business success beyond just profitability?
On Power and Decision-Making
- Who decides what counts as a “fair” wage, and on what basis?
- Why do we treat investors as knowingly taking risks but not low-wage workers? Should workers have more access to financial transparency?
- What role do consumers play in shaping wage structures through their purchasing decisions?
On Economic Assumptions and Possibilities
- What economic assumptions underlie the idea that raising wages threatens business viability?
- What innovations or adaptations might emerge if businesses could no longer rely on below-living wages?
- How have past labor reforms—such as the end of child labor or the 40-hour workweek—challenged and ultimately reshaped economic expectations?
- Are we truly choosing between low-wage jobs or no jobs at all, or are there other options we have yet to fully explore?
On Ethics and Social Responsibility
- What does fairness look like in an economic community?
- Do businesses have an obligation to contribute to the social well-being of the context in which they operate? If so, how should that be defined?
- How should we balance individual responsibility (workers negotiating wages, businesses seeking profit) with collective responsibility (ensuring a just economic system)?