Is it ethical to order food for delivery during a storm? If I’m doing it to avoid going outside or getting wet, isn’t it wrong to have somebody else do it in my place? —James J. Stranko, New York
As someone who seldom mines his own coal, I’m in no position to condemn those who consign difficult, dangerous, or simply miserably uncomfortable jobs to others. Here is how you can do so ethically: by ensuring—or at least supporting those who strive to ensure—that workers in such jobs toil in decent conditions with their health and safety protected, earn decent wages, and receive the benefits we all want and many of us expect in our wealthy nation, such as medical insurance, sick days, and a vacation now and then. You can’t always know such things, but you can make some effort to educate yourself about those you employ, and you can tip generously when someone works for you under unusually rough conditions.
—Adapted from “The Ethicist” in The New York Times Magazine