Basic Income and Employment Ethics

Could basic income make work better for everyone?

Me and my partner just had a long conversation about whether it’s acceptable to work in unethical jobs, say as a journalist for the Daily Mail or as an engineer for an arms manufacturer. I argued that it’s never a clear-cut issue, and it’s a charge that’s ripe for hypocrisy because we are all likely to say, write, or do something that is unethical in some way. Additionally, many of those who take jobs at firms like these are in a position where they have little choice — and yes, I know that it is relative. What’s an acceptable choice for some is impossible for others, and the grade and career path one is on plays a part in these decisions.

But then I got on to thinking about jobs that I’ve had, working on construction projects where actual slave labour was used, and for companies that accepted money from totalitarian governments. I was fortunate enough to be able to leave that industry, but were it not for my support network, I could still be stuck there now. The nature of neoliberalism’s aims makes it likely that employees will engage in morally questionable, if not indefensible, tasks. It doesn’t matter who you work for, someone’s getting screwed directly or indirectly as a result of your labour.

When profit is the only goal, all sorts of other standards are overlooked. Whether it’s…