Hazardous Conditions (w/ Doug McConnell)

About this Episode

ABOUT THIS EPISODE
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, many people have called for hazard pay for "essential workers" to compensate them for additional risks they encounter because they have to go in to work in person. For example, I'm aware of such calls for custodial workers at colleges and universities that have invited students to campus. Indeed, I've encountered such arguments at the institution where I teach. In this episode, I discuss such issues with philosopher Doug McConnell, who recently published on the topic. We talk about the conditions that can justify hazard pay, we discuss other forms of relevant compensation, we discuss the relevance of race and ethnicity, and we discuss more.

LINKS
--Doug McConnell's Oxford profile
--"Compensation and hazard pay for key workers during an epidemic: an argument from analogy," by Doug McConnell & Dominic Wilkinson, in the Journal of Medical Ethics
--"UT employee petition urges regents to move most classes online, provide hazard pay," by Lara Korte, in the Austin American-Statesman
--"A majority of workers are fearful of coronavirus infections at work, especially Black, Hispanic, and low- and middle-income workers," by Peter Dorman & Lawrence Mishel, from the Economic Policy Institute
--"'Heroes or hostages?': Communities of color bear the burden of essential work in coronavirus crisis," by Catherine Thorbecke, for ABC News
--"Balancing the duty to treat with the duty to family in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic," by Doug McConnell, in the Journal of Medical Ethics