Business Ethics - Halakah

Exodus 22:22-24

'Do not take advantage of the widow or the fatherless...your wives will become widows and your children fatherless' ---> Do not deceive those you do business with, full transparency in a business/making business deals e.g. charging high interest rates on loans - loan sharks

Deuteronomy 23:20-21

'You may charge a foreigner interest, but not a fellow Israelite' ---> cannot charge interest fellow Jews when doing business

Leviticus 25:35-37

'If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and are unable to support themselves among you, help them as you would a foreigner and stranger' - you should not charge interest to them or sell food at a profit

Leviticus 25:14

'If you sell land to any of your own people or buy land from them, do not take advantage of each other' -

Amos

'But let judgement run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream'

Jewish charity

Tzedakah

Repairing the world

Tikkun Olam

Love and Kindness

Chesed

creditor

nosheh

interest/advanced interest

neshekh

Why should the Jewish community not charge interest?

- The prosperous should help those less wealthy, if not by gifts, but by free loans

- Interest and excessive interest was seen to lie at the root of social ruin and was therefore outlawed

to help those in need was a ...

moral obligation

usury =

the practice of lending money at unreasonably high, extortionate, or illegal rates of interest

Ezekial 18:11-13 - usury quote about it becoming the gravest of crimes

'He lends at interest and takes a profit. Will such a man live? He will not!'

Views on work and commerce (trading)

It is not inherently evil/impious

- it is a realm that can be sanctified if you are a pure an honest, making the 'mundane spiritual'

Views on competition

Is not disgraceful, but one has to be aware that no unfair advantage is taken of others who may be economically less powerful, or less savvy

views on rights of workers and interests of a business

Balance must take place between the rights of workers and the interests of management

whistleblowing =

if you report certain types of wrongdoing

whistleblowing in Jewish business ethics

encouraged where there is injustice in the work place

Verbal deception

misleading, they may say something but not sticking to, you have not told them the full truth

Leviticus 25:17

'Do not take advantage of each other, but fear your God'

Monetary deception

Weights and Measures in Jewish Law - all bout honesty and dishonesty, misleading

What does it mean by weights and measures?

- the legal and moral obligation of businesses to ensure that the quantity, volume, or weight of goods sold to consumers is accurate, honest, and matches what is advertised or marked on packaging

- It is a fundamental aspect of consumer protection and fair competition designed to prevent fraud and ensure consumers get what they pay for

Leviticus 19 - monetary deception

'Do not use dishonest standards when measuring length, weight or quantity

Treatment of workers

- Kant 'you do not treat people as a means to an end' - don't exploit people

- Providing people with a safe work place

Trade Union

- RMT union fights for workers' rights who work in the tube network, they are good at negotiating

Whistleblowing

- last resort

- Whistleblowing in the UK is protected by the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998

Working 'well'

you want the business to thrive, but not at your expense

Legislation in the UK

- Zero-Hours Contracts - workers on low/zero hour contracts have the right to a guaranteed contract

- Unfair dismissal

- Fire and Rehire

- Statutory Sick Pay

- Family Rights

- Sexual Harassment

- Fair Pay Agreements