From Exploitation to Ihsan: A Five-Tradition Ethics of the Employer-Worker Relationship in Low-Wage Migration

Abstract

Around the world, about 169 million migrant workers help keep the economy running. Many of these workers do low-paying jobs, such as cleaning, driving, gardening, working in restaurants, or building. Even though rules protect workers, many reports say workers are often treated unfairly. They sometimes do not get paid on time, do not have enough food or a safe place to stay, are hurt or hurt others, or have their ID papers taken away. Laws and human rights try to stop unfair treatment at work, but they do not always work well because the trust between bosses and workers has broken down. This work uses a comparative normative methodology. This paper examines five major worldviews—Hindu, Islamic, Christian, Jewish, and Confucian-Sikh-Humanist—to explain how bosses and workers should treat each other with respect. It says that jobs, especially for poor or new workers, should be seen as a duty of trust, not as bosses having power over workers. In many traditions, having power over others means being responsible for doing what is right. Justice should be kind and respectful, caring for others. Bosses are told to treat workers as people with feelings and morals, not just tools. Using stories from religious texts, old laws, and history, this paper talks about current problems of unfair treatment. It suggests five important rules called the “Covenant of Care Framework” for fair work: 1) Paying wages on time is very important, 2) Making sure basic needs are met with respect, 3) Being responsible without embarrassing others, 4) Using power carefully and kindly, and 5) Having ways to report problems and stand up for what is right. The study says that to treat workers fairly and kindly, we need to shift from using them only for profit to supporting them with care and doing our best for them. Remembering these ideas can help countries, communities, and bosses ensure that even workers treated unfairly are respected and protected.