Job quality of COVID-19 pandemic essential workers

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Authors

Jorge Cabrita

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, a diverse collection of workers ensured the functioning of our societies. In a time of crisis, they maintained access to healthcare, long-term care and other essential goods and services, including food, water, electricity, the internet and waste treatment. These were the COVID-19 pandemic essential, or critical, workers, many of whom risked their physical and mental health by continuing to go to work during the pandemic.

This policy brief investigates the job quality of these critical workers, making use of unique sources of information, including data from the European Working Conditions Telephone Survey 2021, data gathered by correspondents from across the Member States and interviews with EU-level social partner representatives from selected sectors. It examines the experiences of work among critical workers during the pandemic, and highlights imminent challenges to the sustainability of their work. The aim is to discover whether these workers are equipped to support society through future shocks and crises.

Job quality of COVID-19 pandemic essential workers

English (845.87 KB - PDF)

Key findings

Health and care workers, food system workers, cleaners and refuse workers, transport workers, manual workers, and protective services workers are essential workers whose health and well-being were at risk during the COVID-19 pandemic. That risk continues post-pandemic because of poor job quality and the weaker sustainability of the work practices they experience. If this is not addressed, it will exacerbate existing labour shortages, which in turn will reduce the capacity of societies to function and benefit from quality services in the future.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, policy measures to support critical workers did not cover all of them, excluding groups less visible and not on the frontline. Critical workers across all occupations need to be recognised and supported, especially in times of crisis.
Critical occupations that are currently suffering from labour shortages, such as jobs in health and care, can be made more attractive to workers by improving job quality and bringing their pay into line with their value to society. The EU’s capacity to deal with future shocks, crises and polycrises while navigating the demographic, digital and green transitions will depend greatly on the conditions under which critical workers will be able to perform their work.
Staff shortages or unattractive jobs are considered key challenges by at least one side of industry in five critical sectors: hospitals and healthcare; education; food and drinks; industrial cleaning; and local and regional government. Difficult working conditions were mentioned as one of the main causes of these challenges.
Many groups of critical workers work in occupations and sectors are highly imbalanced in terms of gender. The improvement of job quality and the development of sustainable work practices is key to supporting the creation of a more diverse workforce and enlarging the pool of potential workers.

The policy brief contains the following lists of tables and figures.

List of tables

Table 1 (part 1): Summary of sociodemographic characteristics of critical worker groups
Table 1 (part 2): Summary of sociodemographic characteristics of critical worker groups
Table 2: Sectoral challenges in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic identified by sectoral social partners

List of figures

Figure 1: Share of critical workers, EU and Member States, 2021 (%)
Figure 2: Distribution of critical workers according to group
Figure 3: Women as a share of critical worker groups, EU, 2021 (%)
Figure 4: Place of work of critical workers, EU, 2021 (%)
Figure 5: Job quality index, by critical worker group, EU, 2021 (%)
Figure 6: Job demands, by critical worker group, EU, 2021 (index 0–100)
Figure 7: Handling or being in contact with infectious materials, EU, 2021 (%)
Figure 8: Physical demands, EU, 2021 (%)
Figure 9: Exposure to adverse social behaviour, EU, 2021 (%)
Figure 10: Work intensity, EU, 2021 (%)
Figure 11: Unsocial work schedules, EU, 2021 (%)
Figure 12: Possibility of losing one’s job within six months, EU, 2021 (%)
Figure 13: Job resources, by critical worker group, EU, 2021 (index 0–100)
Figure 14: Social support at work, EU, 2021 (%)
Figure 15: Task discretion and autonomy, EU, 2021 (%)
Figure 16: Organisational participation, EU, 2021 (%)
Figure 17: Flexibility in working hours, EU, 2021 (%)
Figure 18: Training provided or paid for by the employer, EU, 2021 (%)
Figure 19: Intrinsic rewards, EU, 2021 (%)
Figure 20: Economic hardship, EU, 2021 (%)
Figure 21: Employees without formal employee representation in the workplace, EU, 2021 (%)
Figure 22: Levels of work engagement, EU, 2021 (%)
Figure 23: Health and safety at risk because of work, EU, 2021 (%)
Figure 24: Risk of burnout, EU, 2021 (%)

Number of pages: 36

Reference nº: EF23003EN

ISBN: 978-92-897-2363-3

Catalogue nº: TJ-AR-23-002-EN-N

DOI: 10.2806/850826

Permalink: eurofound.link/ef23003

Cite this publication
Eurofound (2023), Job quality of COVID-19 pandemic essential workers, European Working Conditions Telephone Survey series, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg.

Key findings

List of tables

List of figures

Related publications

Job quality of COVID-19 pandemic essential workers: Annexes

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