[25] Hart, O. and Zingales, L. (2017). The major difficulty with Utilitarianism is that it is unable to deal with rights and justice. [56] Sinnott-Armstrong, W. (2014). Additionally, beating, humiliating and psychological assault of children is opposed to any humanitarian standpoint (Kreikebaum, 2006 [30]; Amnesty International, 2018 [31] ). Child labour: a textbook for university students. [64] UNICEF (2014). Since this taking up of work is not determined by the child itself rather directed by other parties, CL thus, likewise regarding the first two formulas, appears to be utterly immoral viewed from the vantage point of Kants three formulas of the categorical imperative. Basically, socio-economic and cultural disparities are a significant determinant of the defined nature of CL (Blanchett and Shealey, 2013) [1], being responsible for the. Here, individuals are law-givers instead of followers of the universal law as indicated in the first formula (Reath, 1989) [33]. Worker misclassification is a serious problem, but evidence of a large increase in full-time gig work. This page was processed by aws-apollo-l2 in 0.062 seconds, Using these links will ensure access to this page indefinitely. The integration of theoretical findings into a practical business context provides additional value for managers and global supply chain managers. Immigration raids in the early 2000s inadvertently revealed the children of migrant workers employed in meatpacking plants, and advocates like Maki have been concerned about child labor in those facilities ever since. b. following the rules, regardless of consequences. Utilitarians argued, for instance, in favour of rights for women and for people of various races. A hard-core utilitarian would say that outcomes areall that matter. The Biden administration on Monday announced a wide crackdown on the labor exploitation of migrant children around the United States, However, although these overarching standards have been ratified by a number of economies, in particularly developing countries, lacking national legal prohibitions on child labour. But national child labor laws prevent children younger than 16 from working more than three hours or after 7 p.m. on school nights, with the exception of farms. 4757. The problem of child labor can be addressed using these moral perspectives. Accordingly, classical utilitarianism is a hedonistic concept which assumes that there are measurable amounts of joy and pain. Accordingly, the likelihood of CL becoming a universal law whose disregard would be considered immoral is extremely remote. [68] Von Ebert, T. (1976). Future researchers examining the moral evaluation of child labour from the perspective of deontology and utilitarianism should conduct their literature review to a more extensive degree by exploring additional literature databases. "Those numbers are creeping back up again, and that's a real concern to us," says Looman. [32] ILO (2017a). story, the role of fall guy is assumed largely by Hearthside Food Solutions. The division is finding more minors per case, and it's not clear why. [online]. (Frito-Lay declined comment to the, that it had begun an investigation of Hearthside and that it will explore using the hot goods doctrine of interstate commerce to try to assign responsibility higher up the supply chain. Maki says he and other advocates aren't against safe, part-time work for teens, where "they can learn work ethic and work skills.". It isnt just, or even mainly, a matter of employees getting replaced by gig workers. Over the previous decade, the number of minors employed in violation of the act was up 140 percent. Journal of Law, Finance, and Accounting, 2(2), pp.247275. Potential effects of CL on stakeholder groups, own table. [54] Siegfried, P. (2015a): Business Ethics, Sustainability and CSR, Volume 1, AVM Akademische Verlagsgemeinschaft, p.135. You have hands, make use of them! Child labour in Artisanal and Small-scale Mining in Tanzania: You Have Hands, Make use of Them! Journal of International Development, 28(7), pp.10131028. Integrative Social Contracts Theory: A Communitarian Conception of Economic Ethics. Suggested Citation, Mrfelder Landstrae 55Frankfurt am Main, 60598Germany+4915779068623 (Phone), Economic Perspectives on Employment & Labor Law eJournal, Subscribe to this fee journal for more curated articles on this topic, Labor: Public Policy & Regulation eJournal, Subscribe to this free journal for more curated articles on this topic, We use cookies to help provide and enhance our service and tailor content. [48] Reath, A. New York: Oxford University Press. The integration of theoretical findings into a practical business context provides additional value for managers and global supply chain managers. Consequentialism, as an ethical theory, is concerned only with the consequences of an action. Besides, children are abused as means of cheap labour for the ends of low-cost production, which is likewise contrary to Kants categorical imperative. [49] Reath, A. [33] Korsgaard, C.M. These now include child labor, a problem everybody thought wed licked a century ago. Child labour coalition statement on new estimates of child labor stopchildlabor. Is There a Market for Virtue? 8, No. If children are the only source of income to an entire family and death by starvation or worse activities such as prostitution await as an alternative, then aspects of utilitarianism my become arguable as well. Cookie Settings. Economics and Philosophy, 11(1), pp.85112. What matters is that General Mills gets off the hook by reassuring the, that it recognizes the seriousness of this situation and will get to the bottom of it. The latter part is important: utilitarians believe that everyones interests count. . The corporation defended itself, arguing it took all the necessary actions to prevent child labor in its procurement. they must not be threatened in their freedom and dignity (The Humanity Formula) (Sullivan, 1997) [29]. Child labor is the exploitation of children who are deprived of their childhood by work that prevents them from attending school or causes physical, mental, or social harm. These cases represent common types of hazardous-occupation violations found by investigators namely cleaning or operating dangerous machinery. (2021): [1] Abe, K. and Ogawa, H. (2017). Bills introduced in January in Minnesota and Iowa would allow some teenagers to work in construction and meatpacking plants, respectively. reflections on the history of an idea. (2010). Nobody knows exactly why the numbers started to climb in 2015, but probably it was because the labor market was getting tight. But national child labor laws prevent children younger than 16 from working more than three hours or after 7 p.m. on school nights, with the exception of farms. [57] SOMO, ALR and LRDP (2017). In most cases, however, child labour assumes In either case, to capitalise on CSR, initiatives must be specifically aligned with the desires of shareholders and stakeholders (McWilliams and Siegel, 2001) [59]. (9 February 2021): pp. MNEs have certain responsibilities towards those who may be affected by its activities (Freeman, 1984) [40], such as employees, shareholders and customers (Chen and Roberts, 2010 [41], Siegfried 2015a [42] ). Consequentialism. WebUtilitarianism theory is arguing the employed child labour is a morally action, dont have any harmful toward other people and the child instead this action is helping them to People and respect for human rights are at the core of Nestls culture and values. [22] Gray, K. and Schein, C. (2012). Unicef UK. But Frito-Lay and General Mills couldnt do it without Hearthside, the countrys largest contract manufacturer. The Journal of Development Studies, 44(2), pp.233-257. An introduction to Kants ethics. [online]. But Looman says the division is troubled by the fact that investigators are finding more children working in dangerous jobs. Nobody knows exactly why the numbers started to climb in 2015, but probably it was because the labor market was getting tight. Working 10 hours every day, a 14 year old child worker from Foshan dies from exhaustion. Also, poor children deprived of the moral rights. More than 3,800 children were found to be working at U.S. companies last year in violation of federal law, the Labor Department said Monday in announcing a WebWe are focused on transforming farming practices at the heart of the food system while enabling a just and equitable transition. Design/Methodology/Approach: The author uses a literature review in order to analyze the findings of existing literature on the topic of child labour in an ethics context, thereby drawing on literature, indexed in Web of Science and Google Scholar by employing forward and backward citation analysis. Consequently, in the absence of alternatives many developing countries perceive the employment of children as means to provide for a familys livelihood (Basu, 2003 [17]; Chamarbagwala, 2008 [18] ). (1985). "We also are doing more investigations.". [online]. Ethical Consumer. We are committed to raising awareness, promoting best practices and empowering people across our value chain. (Just kidding.). The Labor Departments wage and hour division recorded a37 percent increasein 2022 in the number of minors employed in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act, whichoutlawedmost child labor way back in 1938 and imposed strict limits on the rest. But national child labor laws prevent children younger than 16 from working more than three hours or after 7 p.m. on school nights, with the exception of farms. However, concepts such as dignity, freedom, wellbeing and autonomy are central to both (Van Staveren, 2007) [24]. (1989). 1-3. family) that is placed against CL. )Vaughn, L. (2013). Worker misclassification is a serious problem, but evidence of a large increase in full-time gig workjust isnt there. Business & Society, 53(1), pp.71104. c. acting only out of a self-interest. More than 3,800 children were found to be working at U.S. companies last year in violation of federal law, the Labor Department said Monday in announcing a crackdown on child labor. Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Perspective. Lastly, many developing economies or governments are unable to compensate for the lack of cheap CL, as the wages for adult workers are considerably higher. Originality/Value: The examination of child labour from the perspective of deontology and utilitarianism in conjunction with normative stakeholder theory constitutes a novelty in the ethics literature. [50] Scheffler, S. (1994). [38] Marques, J. Sununu is weighing a presidential bid in 2024. (Edited by R. Historically, utilitarian philosophers played an important role in many struggles that are today recognized as ethically significant. A Hearthside spokesman said the company will "work collaboratively with the Department of Labor in their investigation and do our part to continue to abide by all local, state and federal employment laws.". Children are especially vulnerable to injuries in their early developmental years, even though physical and mental health problems may not be evident for years. Asian Economic Papers, 17(2), pp.94107. [15] CorpAbuse (2020). The two theories differ fundamentally in their focus. Child Labour Ethics through the Prism of Utilitarianism and Deontology. The firm was sued in 2015 by consumers in California for ignoring human rights crimes performed by its cocoa suppliers. "We're doing more outreach and education," which helps people recognize violations, says Jessica Looman, principal deputy administrator of the Wage and Hour Division. Amnesty International Report 2017/2018 - The State of the Worlds Human Rights. https://www.scirp.org/journal/paperinformation.aspx?paperid=107135, Available at SSRN: If you need immediate assistance, call 877-SSRNHelp (877 777 6435) in the United States, or +1 212 448 2500 outside of the United States, 8:30AM to 6:00PM U.S. Eastern, Monday - Friday. The unemployment rate, which had been falling since 2010,droppedin 2015 to 5 percent, which was then considered full employment. Somebodys got to be the fall guy, and its not such a bad fate. She is based in Washington. The Business Case for Corporate Social Responsibility: A Review of Concepts, Research and Practice. This essay aimed to examine the issue of CL from the perspective of the two ethical theories of deontology and utilitarianism which were correspondingly employed as a basis for assessment and might serve companies in structuring their GVC. Globalization, child labour and adult unemploy-ment. [41] Mill, J. S. (1998). Beyond Utilitarianism and Deontology: Ethics in Eco-nomics. The Categorical Imperative and Kant's Conception of Practical Rationality. Moreover, CL enables customers all over the world to buy low-price products. WebUtilitarianism: An Introduction 1 Some things appear to be straightforwardly good for people. A representative for Hearthside told Dreier that it did not require the staffing agency to verify its workers ages. By Chris MacDonald and Alexei Marcoux ", negatively affects the education and health of children, Packers Sanitation Services paid a $1.5 million, common types of hazardous-occupation violations. By linking utilitarianism with normative stakeholder theory, relevant stakeholder groups are being identified in order to examine their influence on and role in the occurrence of child labour allowing for a practical reference. As CL being widely prohibited and morally condemned in Western economies (Pierik, 2007) [9], such violations are occurring almost invariably at the lower end of VCs in developing countries (ILO, 2017a) [10]. The author endeavours to open up the subject of CL for executives by linking normative stakeholder theory and utilitarianism. 3.2. (Edited by D. F. Norton & M. J. But it isnt clear the Labor Department will have the necessary tools. Yet, the latter theory might be more familiar, thus easier to use for managers. D Utilitarianism has been called a (n): a. commonsensical approach to ethics. [online]. Purpose: Grounded in the theoretical concepts of utilitarianism and deontology, this paper aims to evaluate the issue of child labour from an ethics In stepping up its efforts to target companies that use child labor, the Labor Department will use new strategies to launch investigations where child labor violations are most likely to occur. The agency said it has 600 child labor 13, No. The corporation defended itself, arguing it took all the necessary actions to prevent child labor in its procurement. The new measures were announced in the wake of media reports, including by NBC News, on children working grueling jobs in the U.S. A Labor Department investigator photographed a child who worked for Packers Sanitation Services Inc. cleaning a slaughterhouse in Grand Island, Neb. But once theyre assigned to a family, HHS does a poor job keeping track. The Iowa bill would also let some youth under 16 drive themselves to work and extend the hours teenagers could work. The Shocking, Sickening Reality of Child Labor in America. Feb. 27, 2023. Alas, this corresponds to ILO (2017) [3] estimates about the number of children engaged in CL worldwide of which 73 million are exposed to hazardous working conditions (UN, 2019) [4]. Effect of cropland and livestock ownership on child labour in eastern Ethiopia: empirical examination of the Wealth Paradox. Utilitarianism provides The total number of violations is much lower than it was two decades ago, but experts are still troubled. Child labour not only prevents children from acquiring the skills and education they need for a better future, it also perpetuates poverty and affects national economies through losses in competitiveness, productivity and potential income. et al. Kant, being considered one of the fathers of universalism (Marques, 2015) [25], holds the categorical imperative as the fundamental principle and moral law of ethical behaviour (Hffe, 1977) [26]. no stakeholder is assigned more or less importance (Weiss, 2014) [23]. The unemployment rate has since fallen further to3.4 percent. Copyright 2023 by authors and Scientific Research Publishing Inc. With the provision in the Iowa bill that would lessen businesses' civil liability if child laborers got sick, injured or killed on the job, "it's as if they know that kids are going to get hurt. According to Manda et al. Findings: The investigation of child labour in terms of ethics yields conflicting results. Investigators are also finding more minors working in hazardous occupations, where children could get seriously injured. WebChild Labour: An Ethical Assesment This work is based on the application of two ethical theories, deontology and utilitarianism theory, to evaluate CL from an ethics perspective. In-ternational Journal of Child Care and Education Policy, 13(1), p.5. Certainly HHS must be held accountable for this explosion in illegal child labor. Since 2018, there has been a 69 percent increase in the number of children employed in violation of labor laws, officials said. Health hazards to children in agriculture. The penalties for violating these laws are smallfor employing child labor, you pay all of$15,138 per childand the reputational damage is minimal for a subcontractor or franchisee of whom nobodys ever heard. "We walk a lot. New York: Oxford University Press. Child labor, fatal accidents, and violent clashes between artisanal miners and security personnel of large mining firms are recurrent. Own table, based on ILAB (2018) [68]. WebChild labor also changed as a result of the Industrial Revolution. [42] Morris, R.C. To be the main factors contributing to CL, predominantly present in developing countries. PSSI is not a target of that investigation and has not been accused of wrongdoing by DHS. But immigrant children are vulnerable to other kinds of labor, too, from construction to meatpacking. As theTimesnotes, the federal government knows these children are here and entrusts them to the Department of Health and Human Services to connect them to sponsoring families. A rights-based perspective might say that it is wrong to hire children to do difficult labour, such as working in a factory or in a cotton field. The U.S. generally has good child labor laws, except for agriculture, says Reid Maki, director of child labor advocacy for the National Consumers League and coordinator of the Child Labor Coalition, which works to end abusive child labor. This page was processed by aws-apollo-l2 in. Working campaign slogan: Bring BackWarrens Blacking Factory. [72] Yovel, Y. Only a few of these Dickensian pro-child-labor bills got enacted, but some did. "And your back, sometimes it will be hurting.". Tersely said, the remainder of this essay is devoted to assessing the ethics of CL by, inter alia, identifying relevant stakeholders and the implications of CL on them. In 41 of 43 cases, working 10 hour days results in earning more than $1 per day, and in more than half the earnings are greater than $2 per day. Only a few of these Dickensian pro-child-labor bills got enacted, but some did. Child labor is back. Business ethics: ethical decision making and cases. As the time frame within which this paper was developed has been very limited due to tight deadlines, it may well be that the existing literature or previous studies have not been sufficiently analysed in this context. Child Labour Ethics through the Prism of Utilitarianism and Deontology. Secondly, all individuals affected should not be treated as mere means to another end, but rather as an end in itself, i.e. A rights-based [online]. Development and Change, 39(6), pp.10051018. In contrast, according to a utilitarian sentiment, child labour is ethically justifiable as long as the beneficiaries of the labour are greater in number than the children working or suffering. Target of that investigation and has not been accused of wrongdoing by DHS, fatal accidents, and clashes... 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Consumers in California for ignoring human rights crimes performed by its cocoa suppliers in Artisanal and Small-scale Mining Tanzania.