The 5 moral obligations of employees to employers

As mentioned in the article “The 6 moral obligations of business executives,” published in the April edition of Legatus magazine, Pope Leo XIII wrote an encyclical called Rerum Novarum in 1891 on the rights and duties of capital and labor. In it, he described Catholic social teachings and lists six obligations of employers and five obligations of employees. Leaders have a responsibility to inform their employees of these obligations both by example and by verbal instruction.

Pope Leo set forth for his time and ours the five moral obligations of employees, which are as follows:

Perform honest labor in accordance with one’s contractual obligations.

Never damage the property of the owner and never cause harm to him.

Keep the peace at all times.

Avoid and discourage rioting.

Avoid sowing seeds of discord in the workplace.

In 1931, Pope Pius XI took the principles of Rerum Novarum and expanded upon the obligations in his encyclical Quadragesimo Anno. In this letter, Pius recognized the importance of labor and the dignity of the worker. He argued that workers are not mere instruments to be used for profit, but rather human beings with inalienable rights and dignity. Therefore, employers have an obligation to treat their workers fairly and justly, providing them with a decent wage and safe working conditions.

Pius also recognized the importance of labor unions as a means of protecting workers’ rights and ensuring their voices are heard. He acknowledged the right of workers to form unions and to engage in collective bargaining with their employers to secure fair wages and working conditions, assuming they do so in a dignified manner and never in a destructive way or in a situation that harms the good of souls or the work of the Church. Taken along with Rerum Novarum, these encyclicals are the two greatest sources of Catholic social teaching.

Since many executives are still employees of the organization and report to higher-level executives, a board of directors, or corporate shareholders, it is appropriate that everyone from business leaders down to entry-level workers consider these questions as part of their regular examination of conscience:

Do you give an honest and complete day of work in return for the wages promised? 

If you believe you are underpaid or undervalued, do you seek to negotiate a fair wage rather than steal from the company by spending time idly or neglecting your agreed-upon duties?

Do you submit false or exaggerated expense reports that are against company policies that you have agreed to?

Do you, as appropriate given your role and situation, build up the common good among your peers so that by your word and example others know of your conviction for the Catholic faith and adherence to it, including its unwavering teaching on morality and the dignity of all human life?

Do you encourage, even by tacit approval, rioting, vandalism, retaliation, sexual harassment, or any other workplace sins?

St. Peter writes in his first letter, “Be ye subject, therefore, to every human creature for God’s sake; whether it be to the king as excelling, or to governors as sent by him” (1 Pet. 2:13). This also applies to our conduct with our employers. Above all, the Catholic faith is not just one part of our lives. It must be the core of our entire life, including our professional life. This is true for everyone doing work, whether for clients or for employers.