Work What obligations do we have in choosing work? What obligations do we have as workers? What entitlements to work do we have? What entitlements do we have as workers?

What obligations do we have as workers? To self ? –to do only meaningful work To others? –colleagues –employer –profession –customers/clients –competitors –community –environment How do we prioritize among these?

Work as a Social Benefit Is work important enough to require just distribution? –Why or why not? If yes, what principle(s) of distributive justice apply to work? Given the connection of work and self-esteem and self- identify, does it matter what kind of work people have access to?

Work and Happiness Job –Activity: Unpleasant, not personally meaningful –Working conditions: poor Career –Activity: Challenging, not personally meaningful –Working conditions: generally good, but often stressful and long hours

Work and Happiness Vocation –Activity: personally meaningful, socially useful –Working conditions: vary

Other Views about Work Protestant work ethic –Work is supposed to be unpleasant because it’s a punishment. –Hard work will be rewarded in this life. Buddhist work ethic –Desire less and work less. –Reverence for all living things Value your colleagues, customers Protect the environment.

What are workers entitled to? Some possible answers for the currently employed: –to continued employment –to fairness and against discrimination –to safe working conditions –to associate, e.g. to unionize –to privacy –to autonomy and free speech –to a personal life –to fair compensation

Further questions about worker entitlement Are all workers entitled to an equal opportunity to have –a job? a career? a vocation? a vocation with good working conditions?