Some people are forced to work to satisfy their needs and family members constantly in modern society. Nowadays, paid work is one of the critical problems in society. Hard work can take a heavy toll on a worker’s physical and mental health. The main problems are many hours and critically low wages in some areas, which leads to burnout at work. Paid work is a complex ethical issue that considers various aspects of social life. Thus, dirty work with critical damage to health can be highlighted, and the relatively recent term of meaningful work poses a question for workers about the purpose of their activities.
This raises many questions about who is responsible for the health of workers, as well as for the moral aspect of wages. Thus, in their articles, Press and Lepore raise wages’ moral, ethical, and social issues. The authors agree that low salaries lead to problems in a person’s life. However, the spectrum of their research is fundamentally different, and in the case of the Press, it concerns dirty work and society’s response to it. At the same time, Lepore focuses on meaningful work and protecting workers without a clear work schedule. This is important for understanding how low wages can affect mental health from different perspectives and areas of activity.
In its article, the Press considers such an essential aspect as remuneration in performing complex physical and moral work. The author relies on the fact that low wages can lead to burnout and severe moral consequences, as well as an extreme form of fatigue. Lepore also points to physical fatigue but misses mental health. The author focuses on overwhelming fatigue as a problem for vulnerable workers in an informal workplace without a precise schedule.
Both authors conclude that, at present, the work of ordinary workers is not appreciated at its true worth. In America Runs on ‘Dirty Work’ and Moral Inequality, the author highlights such a significant area as dirty work. Press claims that society does not fully assess the reasons and sources people choose this job and how morally exhausting it is. Thus, the author points out that despite low wages and difficult conditions, people work in such a job due to the impossibility of choice.
Lepore also emphasizes that workers do not represent a high value for their labor, which is why they are vulnerable. The author writes that workers are forced to wait for a call to work without an exact guarantee. However, there is a significant difference between these statements in the two articles. Press examines the underestimation of labor for dirty work from a social standpoint. He argues that people do not understand that they are also responsible for the fact that others are forced to satisfy the needs of society. The author points out that the spread of dirty work is promoted by those who want to receive a service or product at the lowest price.
Lepore, by contrast, notes the insecurity and underestimation of workers by companies and employers. The author points out that since employees have no confidence that they will have work next week and an irrational shift schedule, it makes people feel unhappy. She also points out that the political community has rejected a proposal to amend the law, which would oblige organizations to regulate shifts. Thus, Lepore clarifies that at the state level, workers’ work also remains an underestimated sphere of society.
Lepore also pays attention to how workers’ labor was valued from a historical perspective. The author points out that work was not seen as sacred throughout history but was singled out as ordinary. The delivery of workers was also not appreciated, and during the period of slavery was aimed at maintaining the economy and a better life for the landowner. At present, Lepore notes, workers’ work is aimed at enriching corporate owners, not maintaining sane working conditions (Lepore 5). Thus, in historical consideration, workers’ labor has always remained underestimated.
Press’ opinion is that he refers to people working in dirty jobs. The author argues that because society does not understand the value of this labor, workers are left unnoticed. However, unlike Lepore, Press highlights the underestimation of struggle and the condemnation of certain professions by society (Press 6). In America Runs on ‘Dirty Work’ and Moral Inequality, the author argues that dirty work proceeds with the tacit consent of the community, condemning this way of making money, and taking full advantage of this work.
Moreover, both authors raise the question of the harm done by thankless hard work with low wages on human mental health. The press cites low salaries, public condemnation, and lack of opportunity to change jobs as the main reasons. The author calls workers victims and notes that they are subject to exploitation and heavy physical exertion. However, Press reports that there are less familiar dangers in dirty work. He identifies severe moral consequences that can be described as self-flagellation, decreased self-esteem, and offended human dignity. The author also notes another moral problem faced by workers. Thus, due to their field of activity, people become more callous and cold concerning the world around them.
Press also points out that the most severe consequences of moral decline are fraught with those employees who have good intentions but cannot implement them. As such, many of them struggle with the guilt or shame they experience due to the incident at work. Workers in some industries experience post-traumatic stress disorder that can seriously affect their later lives. The author notes that even though emotional and moral wounds are more difficult to isolate, they bring the same harm to workers in a precarious financial situations. Such problems affect the formation of self-esteem, social status in society, and a person’s pride.
On the other hand, Lepore focuses on another mental issue in her article What’s Wrong with the Way We Work. The problem is finding meaning in work. According to the author, many psychological problems lie in the fact that they hate their job, considering their time spent on it an endless torment. A psychological problem is displayed and affects people and their work, which employees perceive as a conveyor belt or an unending line.
Unlike Press, Lepore also highlights the psychological difficulties women endure. It is humiliating that society perceives women as free domestic laborers. The author points out that it was important for women that their housework and hobbies could be realized in monetary terms. However, Lepore does not emphasize the social aspect when choosing specific fields of activity (Lepore 3). Nevertheless, for Press, a significant issue was that the choice of hard work with low wages is determined by the employee’s level of education and status (Press 2). Thus, he underlines that immigrants or people with no education choose hard work in most cases. This also becomes a severe blow to the employee’s psychological state, who, despite all desire, cannot find another job.
Nevertheless, both authors of the text unobtrusively ask readers to reconsider their views on the work. The press talks about how people need to look at hard work from a different angle and reiterate that they view dirty workers as their agents. At the same time, the author emphasizes that society must fight for its participation in this area. In addition, Press points out that society owes many of them to empowering workers to tell their stories and be heard. Showing this respect and curiosity can help people in their dirty jobs deal with psychological problems. Thus, the author considers it an excellent option to gather people, employees of dirty work so that they can talk about their moral trauma and disturbing circumstances.
Lepore examines changing attitudes towards work in terms of personal opinion and federal politics. She calls for a look at the problem of income inequality between men and women, which still plays a severe role in society. The author asks to pay attention to the unjustifiably large number of hours the salary must be paid more than many workers receive. Moreover, Lepore insists that people choose the job or employment they like. In this case, the number of burnouts and people dissatisfied with their work will decrease.
In conclusion, it should be said that both authors raise the vital issue of unjustifiably low wages for hard work. The articles examine the psychological trauma that an individual acquires and their dissatisfaction with their condition. However, Lepore and Press look at some issues from different perspectives. So, in the article What’s Wrong with the Way We Work, the author mentions the conditions of employers, while the Press discusses the impact of society on workers.
Works Cited
Lepore, Jill. “What’s wrong with the way we work”. The New Yorker, Web.
Press, Eyal. “America runs on ‘dirty work’ and moral inequality”. The New York Times, Web.