Thinking Critically About Ethical Issues

Thinking Critically About Ethical Issues

The first restriction presented in the case is that people below 16 years should not be permitted to work in the manufacturing, construction, and mining industries. Persons under the age of 18 are considered to be children. The moral consideration presented in this case is to not harm. Manufacturing, mining, construction, and agricultural industries involve hard labor. These industries are also associated with risk health risk factors such as falls that can cause harm to children aged below 16. The International Labor Organization (ILO) has set the minimum age at which a child may be employed as 15 years. The nature of employment should not put the child’s health at any risk. Therefore, to avoid causing harm to this population of children, the restriction should be imposed.

The second restriction involves limiting the number of work hours for persons aged below 18 years. Persons aged below 18 years are children, as stipulated by the International Labor Organization (ILO) (Schaefer & Pletka, 2021). The moral issue, in this case, is to do no harm. Even though the minimum age limit set by the ILO for employment for children is 15, they should not stay at work for long (Compa, 2017). Children should be allocated shorter working shifts than those allocated for adults. Long working hours can lead to exhaustion and affect their physical well-being. The third argument is that persons aged below 21 years should not have contact with pesticides. The moral consideration, in this case, is to do no harm. Improper handling of pesticides can lead to toxicity and death. The younger population should be protected from the potentially harmful effects of pesticides.

Children start working at a young age because of poverty. Some companies consider it cheaper to pay children because their wages and salaries are lower than those of adults. If a company such as a mining firm identifies any form of child labor, it should provide a transition for the child. Companies should ensure that children are not employed in hazardous sectors, neither should they work for long hours. All companies should develop policies that conform to the standards provided by the ILO.

References.

Compa, L. (2017). Migrant Workers in The United States: Connecting Domestic Law with International Labor Standards: The Piper Lecture. Chicago-Kent Law Review, 92(1), 211.

Schaefer, B. D., & Pletka, D. (2021). International Labor Organization : of Defending Workers. 3587, 1–13.

Thinking Critically About Ethical Issues

For this module, you are required to complete a Written Case Analysis of approximately 200 words. Please read Thinking Critically About Ethical Issues, Case 5, pp. 167-168. Identify the moral issue(s) and the parties involved, and infer their interests; discuss the case in terms of finding common ground in the diversity of interests you identify.