Would I work for Facebook?
It’s a slippery slope, and a decision I have to make this year, in a much smaller sense. Similar to Facebook, Amazon is a bit of an ethical conundrum. Despite promoting their workspaces as “safe and healthy workplace free of harassment and danger,” many contract workers working for Amazon within their warehouses disagree. However, as someone looking to join the company as an engineer, I’d be far removed from these types of labor. Would I be complicit in their unethical exploitation of workers?
However, if I choose not to work Amazon, would I be giving up an opportunity that would affect my future career prospects? How can I best manage my concerns about working for an ethically troubling organization? Within “Working for Ethically Complicated Organizations,” one key point mentioned is the near impossibility of being completely ethical. The idea brought up, ” ‘how close does the stink get to my office?’ ,” is a question to consider working for a tech company, and more the majority of tech companies in the world.
There is never a perfect company. Amazon exploits workers, but supports the Climate Pledge. Google has issues with its Ethical AI team, but invests a huge amount in addressing the gender gap. Likewise, Facebook has failed in large part to curb misinformation on its platforms, but also serves as a massive social network to enable communication around the world.
My priorities for a job don’t necessarily always align with each company’s values. It would be fantastic to work for a company to have zero ethical complaints, but this is not the norm. As a job seeker myself, I also “hold ethical responsibilities both to [myself] and to others.” Prioritizing ethics above all else may be a valiant value to uphold, but I also have commitments to myself that come first. Instead, it’s key to consider instead the balance of ethics and personal priority, and to uphold ethical decisions within the workplace.
