I'd say ownership should be the top priority. You own it, it's yours, you have all the responsibility.

You have the liability, etc. So your whims are the top priority, and this is the default IMO. That's the starting point.

But here's the catch:

As the owner, *your* top priority should be the overall financial health of your company. And I think that the financial health and well being of your employees should be at the top of that list, because it is the thing that will, in all likelihood, be the backbone of ensuring that financial health.

Philosophically, you could say that either the shareholders or the employees should be "top" priority, and I think you'd be correct, because the best possible scenario IMO is that the two are in lockstep.

Moreover, I think corporations should strive to make their employees and shareholders one in the same. Winco does this, to my understanding, at least on some level, and I've read/heard stories of various other companies. I believe there's a bread company in central CA that does this.

And those shareholders should have real equity, and real power with that equity. Not just bullshit stock options, though those can be nice. But a big enough slice that the employee has a vested stake in things, and enough that they have an actual voice.

Even a massive corporation like Walmart should make all of their employees shareholders, with significant stakes in the company.

How that power is structured is another discussion, but I think that's probably the best, most ethical way to go overall.

But someone who simply had the means to just buy enough shares to shoot their fat fucking mouth off at board meetings or whatever?

That shit needs to go.

Why should the people stocking shelves and dealing with customer complaints all day have no say, while the person who simply bought their way in gets to make these decisions?

But there are, I think, other ways to improve conditions for employees.

Strip down the corporate tax code, and make that shit simple:

Your tax deductions are directly tied to how well compensated your employees are. So you want that $0 tax bill? You get it by offering full time jobs, at living wages, with benefits, paid leave, etc, and your tax breaks are based on hitting certain metrics.

Add an employee-run association with legitimate bargaining power, cut out union dues, etc.