ABSTRACT
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many have noted the poor treatment of essential workers despite the indispensable work they do. In the current essay, we explain this “essential worker paradox” by arguing that neoliberal value systems dominating global labor markets have resulted in devaluation of society’s most important workers. Additionally, we argue that scholars and practitioners across disciplines invested in worker well-being have a unique role in illuminating the biases at play in the undervaluing of low-wage essential workers and advocating for human dignity across all sectors of the labor force. We call on these professionals to work toward reforming culture around societal occupational value systems to promote a more just and sustainable labor market.
