1. Epstein claims that the positions of both employers and employees are essentially even with regard to EAW. Do you find this line of argument convincing? Why or why not?
I do find Epstein’s claims that the position of both employers and employees are essentially even with regard to EAW convincing. Epstein talks about the recent trends in the expansion of the legal remedies for wrongful discharges to include approval by judicial, academic and popular circles. Which is one of the reasons I do agree with his claim, there are a lot of laws and regulations that are in place in order to protect both employers and employees employed in EAW companies. EAW offers both parties in my opinion a great deal of flexibility and can improve productivity for both employers and employees. Not having the cushion of a contract can be good for companies. It makes all employees strive to achieve excellence in order to add job security and can also lead to further raises based on performance and at the same time it will increase a company’s performance level because of the added increased productivity within a company. There is a passage that Epstein includes from Payne v. Western & Atlantic Railroad in out text that reads; “[M]en must be left, without interference to buy and sell where they please, and to discharge or retain employees at will for good cause without thereby being guilty of an unlawful act per se. It is a right which an employee may exercise in the same way, to the same extent, for the same cause or want of cause as the employer.” This is so true and is in my opinion the way the EAW works for the most part. For instance I used to work at a food court where we had all EAW employees and it worked. We gave employees the raises they deserved and when an employee would do something wrong we would document with a write up ensuring that the employee would know what they did wrong and the steps needed to correct it. I remember we had an employee that we had to fire for repeated no call no show, she later tried to collect unemployment for unfair termination. Since we had all the documentation she was denied benefits because we fired her with justified reasons. This shows the equality that Epstein talks about because if we hadn’t had the documentation the employee would have received the benefits that would have been entitled to even though it was an EAW employment. This is one example of many other possibilities that demonstrates the equality that comes in EAW between employers and employees. After reading the chapter and doing some basic searches we here about a number of horror stories with EAW employment but many of these have been in the past. Businesses will always evolve as technology advances and the workforce changes. The employees that are coming into the workforce now are very different from when I started and very different years before that. With that in mind laws will evolve and as more cases are presented more laws and regulations will be created and ensure that employers and employees are equal when it come EAW employment, ensuring that EAW will exist for years and years to come.

Arnold, D., Beauchamp, T., & Bowie, N. (2013). Ethical Theory and Business (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc.

2. Central to Duska’s discussion is his conception of loyalty. Do you find his account of loyalty convincing? What elements of it might you disagree with? What implications might an altered conception of loyalty have on his contention that whistle-blowing does not require moral justification?
Duska’s discussion on his conception of loyalty is very fascinating to read. It gives many of us a different way to look at loyalty to a company. While many of us have a way of seeing things just like saying one is loyal to shop at certain places. Reading Duska’s discussion gives us a different way of looking at loyalty specifically from the perspective of employee and loyalty to a company. I have always been one of those persons that have always what you call a loyal employee. I remember when I was in high school leading after I graduated I worked for a fast food restaurant and one of my friends got a job at a retail store and told me they were hiring. So I applied and they offered me a job, now I had been working in fast food for about three years and this new job offered me more money than I was making. I let my boss know that I would be leaving my EAW job and was giving my two week notice. One of the supervisors actually told me I had no loyalty because I was leaving after three years because I was offered more money at another place. I took offense to that situation because I saw loyalty in a different way. Now after reading Duska’s discussion I feel I was in the right. I do find his account of loyalty convincing. In one of his paragraphs he states that we work for a company because it pays us, and that money is what ties a group together meaning that the money is what in a way keeps a form of loyalty. If you think about it it’s true, but the way to look at it is that we are being loyal to our family or our necessity of needing money and having a job. Duska also makes a great point which I agree with him, to think that because a company is paying us we have an obligation of loyalty is wrong. Just like he gives an example of the loyal employee who is let go due to restructuring of the business then this employee feels betrayed and that is so true. Many times we here about this through friends or family and it does happen. In a way I feel it is sad but when you actually think about it and look back at past situation Duska can be found to be convincing on his account of loyalty. The only thing I may disagree with is that even though it does make sense what he says many of us because of how we are raised and the believes we have. Many of us will still find ourselves being loyal to what Duska calls an object or instrument because of a moral obligation that has been instilled on us from our parents. On whistle blowing I don’t think there are any implications with an altered conception of loyalty. Duska says that whistle blowing should be expected if a business is harming society. I agree with his statement and for the most part the main reason an employee will whistle blow. The only problem to this is that sometimes an employee may perceive a business as harming society and whistle blows for the wrong reason maybe they feel they were treated unfairly and try to document all that they think is wrong to bring a business down for personal reasons. But that leads more into morals of employees. As far as having moral justification when it comes to whistle blowing I don’t feel that there should be, because if a business is harming society then it should be justified by any means.
Arnold, D., Beauchamp, T., & Bowie, N. (2013). Ethical Theory and Business (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc.

3. What is the moral point of view and why is it important? Does it make sense to say that business people must operate from the perspective of the moral point of view? Why, or why not?
The moral point of view is in a way the correct attitude to take in business. It is a point of view to take in a rationale unbiased and impartial point of view. One could also think about it as a complete neutral stance in business, like a referee does in a game. They have to maintain a neutral unbiased stance during the game. A referee can’t take sides or take into account where a team is from or comments they have made or even who they are managed by all they are there to do is to make the correct calls in order to keep all fair throughout a game. The moral point of view is important because it involves that application of reason versus feeling. What also makes it important is the fact that it helps keep emotion away from the business aspect enabling us to remain neutral in the growing global markets. Our text refers to the moral point of view as a guide to the globalization of the new era in economics. I believe it is very important specially now where a small business can reach the entire globe through the internet. In a way the internet can make any small business into a global business and by utilizing the moral point of view can simplify the way a business runs or in its success. Another reason why I think that the moral point of view is important is that it is an impartial way of looking at people making all persons and property one deals with equal. The moral point of view also keeps moral judgments away from the business which can be very important to succeed in a business. In the past there have been businesses that have made comments that John Rawls calls “veil of ignorance” because of their moral judgments may seem correct but others may view as not. We have seen people either stop shopping or eating at establishments that make these ignorant comments. Now by using the moral point of view maybe businesses can be more profitable by ensuring that there is neutrality in the way they conduct themselves. I believe that it does make sense to say that business people must operate from the perspective of the moral point of view. By doing so business people can ensure that they don’t make comments they shouldn’t and by treating all transactions neutral I honestly think that a business can be more successful than those who don’t operate from the perspective of the moral point of view. It is very important now more than ever with computers and social media available the business people operate from the perspective of the moral point of view because people in general will blast a business or company and as soon as they do a lot of people become aware of it. Take for instance the comment that was made by Chick Fil-A about the gay community, social media blew it sky high then I believe hundreds of gays and lesbians went to Chick Fil-A’s across the country to make out in their facility, and because of the comments I know several gays and lesbians who till this day won’t do business with any Chick Fil-A. It’s one thing to think about but I am sure that business people who use the moral point of view will have an easier and successful business.

Arnold, D., Beauchamp, T., & Bowie, N. (2013). Ethical Theory and Business (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc.