18.10.2023

RESEARCH HAS HIGHLIGHTED WHICH ARE THE CRITICAL SECTORS FOR WORKERS

Poor work quality, including high emotional demands, high-speed work, and short deadlines, are widespread among several of the sectors and occupations considered essential, key, or critical during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Particularly in the case of health workers and those working in the care sector. Half of them had busy jobs – meaning their work put their health and well-being at particular risk. The strain these workers face on a daily basis calls into question Europe's ability to respond to future crises, says new Eurofound research, Quality of Essential Workers' Jobs in the context of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

It analyzes working conditions in certain sectors that have kept societies functioning in Europe during the COVID-19 pandemic. These workers maintained access to health care, long-term care, and other essential goods and services, including food, water, electricity, Internet, and waste treatment.

The study identified 11 critical groups of workers based on data from Eurofound's 2021 European Working Conditions Telephone Survey (EWCTS): health and education workers, office workers, cleaners and waste workers, food workers, managers and legislators, manual workers, ICT workers, scientists and engineers, defense workers and transport workers.

According to this definition, 45% of EU workers in 2021 can be considered critical, as are at least one third of the total workforce in each member state. In Denmark and Luxembourg, over half of the workforce can be considered critical workers.

Each group faces specific challenges to the quality of work and professional life during the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, cleaners and garbage collection workers have significantly poor job quality, with many having jobs combining high levels of physical demands and risks with a high degree of uncertainty. The group also stands out as having poor support from colleagues and managers, poor access to training and very limited opportunities for career development.

In addition, half of these employees were struggling to make ends meet, and many had no formal representation in the workplace.

Several critical sectors are currently suffering from labor shortages, notably hospitals and healthcare, education, food and beverage production, industrial cleaning and local and regional government. Improving working conditions and bringing pay in line with the value of these jobs to society is paramount to solving this problem. Policies and practices in these sectors should also aim to develop sustainable work practices, including supporting and developing workers' skills, promoting work-life balance and ensuring public investment in working conditions.

On the occasion of the report's publication, Eurofound's Working Life Research Manager Jorge Cabrita highlighted the importance of improving the quality of work of essential workers.

"A few years ago, people in Europe applauded frontline workers, but if we are serious about recognizing the value of these workers, the focus must be on improving the quality of jobs and developing sustainable practices, including fair pay. This is important not only for the officials in question, but also for Europe's resilience in the coming crises," he said.