ABSTRACT
“You are only as strong as your weakest link.” During the COVID-19 pandemic, around 16 million U.S. workers lost jobs, the essential workforce was exposed to unimaginable stress, risks, and constraints, and remote workers attempted to balance work and their caregiving roles. Employment became more precarious for most American workers; low-wage women, people of color, and youth suffered the most. In addition, several labor market policies and programs created precariousness, requiring that the worker be laid off so that workers would be eligible for income support. In short, America exposed its weakest links in terms of “decent work.” The essay examines the concept of decent work, identifying the main characteristics of quality employment. Decent work is just not another job, it is a labor standard to be used to set workforce expectations. This essay serves as a primer on decent work, highlighting effective decent work policies and education programs. Specific attention is given to addressing the weakest links in the U.S. employment system, such as job insecurity and precariousness, psychological stress, and policy shortcomings of our career education system with respect to decent work.
