'Our appreciation for essential work cannot be limited to the pandemic,' Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh tells onesarahjones
Photo: Graeme Jennings-Pool/Getty Images Labor Day exists to celebrate the American worker. And this year, as the pandemic drags on, it’s a day to mourn, too. Essential workers have sacrificed their well-being and, in some cases, their lives to keep the country running. But “essential work” is just a label; there are no policies or regulations that protect the people who perform this work. It’s a pressing issue for Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh and his department.
The previous administration severely weakened enforcement power in worker-protection agencies like the Occupational Health and Safety Administration and even scaled back efforts to provide overtime pay for more workers and protect retirees’ funds. What’s more, the previous administration’s handling of the pandemic left millions of workers worse off.
David and I agree that misclassification of employees is a pervasive issue that not only robs workers of the benefits they deserve but also costs our economy hundreds of millions of dollars a year. While legitimate independent contractors are an important part of our economy, the misclassification of employees as independent contractors denies workers access to critical benefits and protections the law provides.
The pandemic ignited a new interest in so-called essential work. But what can you and the department do to make sure essential work actually gets treated like essential work?
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