Question

Orlando's "legitimate expectations" argument against downsizing rests on the premise that "workers have made plans under the assumption of a continued source of income." Is that premise true and, if so, was it reasonable for workers to make that assumption?

Answer 1

Orlando’s legitimate expectations is based on the utilitarianism ethical framework which is based on the premise that an action can be considered to be morally and ethically correct if it provides good to a majority of people. A company usually opts for downsizing based on business needs. In my views, the premise put forward by Orlando against the downsizing plan is quite valid. Workers do depend on their source of income. Every human has the mentality of doing planning of future, based on current income. Hence downsizing can act as a roadblock in this regard. If the source of income is taken away from the individual, he will face difficulty in fulfilling his current as well as future needs. It is quite reasonable for an individual to depend on his source of income, for catering to his current and future needs.