SEAN Report Addresses COVID-19 Related Challenges for Individuals with Precarious Employment
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s (NASEM) Societal Experts Action Network (SEAN) has released it’s latest rapid expert consultation, Addressing COVID-19 Related Challenges Facing Individuals Engaged in Precarious Employment. SEAN provides social, behavioral, and economic science researchers with resources to produce rapid-fire reports and recommendations to influence policy decisions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic (see previous COSSA coverage).
In this latest report, SEAN considers the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on employees in jobs that are considered to have low security, such as jobs with low wages and low benefits. The report found that employees in these positions had less access to benefits such as sick and family leave, wage loss prevention security, and government assistance. SEAN recommends the following strategies to protect employees in low security positions:
- Expand access to unemployment insurance and paid sick leave for individuals that may not have previously qualified.
- Improve state occupational health and safety regulations to ensure employees are not exploited in the workplace.
- Engage community partners and work-centered organizations to increase education and training opportunities for employees to recognize exploitation.
- Support health and well-being through expanding healthcare and mental healthcare services.
- Improve data collection and data sharing through investing in data systems.
SEAN intends these recommendations to outline a safety net for employees in these low security jobs. SEAN will continue to produce reports to support evidence-based policy making relating to COVID-19. Follow COSSA’s continued coverage on the SEAN initiative.