Questions about the future of work shifted during the pandemic, prompting overdue discussions about workplace health and safety, the unemployment system, health insurance, and fair wages and benefits. What policies can support a thriving future of work? What roles do we want private business to play? And what strategies will build a future of work that addresses long standing inequities and inequalities and provides opportunities for all to thrive? California’s Future of Work Commission and Jobs and Recovery Task Force had been working on these questions since before the pandemic and had begun implementing innovative policies to address the critical challenges facing working people in today’s economy and tomorrow’s.
This op-ed discusses the important role of domestic workers such as nannies, housecleaners, and homecare workers in our society and economy and offers ideas on how we can value and support its importance.
This report compiles insights from workforce professionals about the types of questions they ask employers. 210 workforce professionals in Cleveland, Indianapolis, and Philadelphia responded to a survey about the kinds of conversations they have with business representatives on topics related to workplace practices, environment, and equity and inclusion in the workplace.
This op-ed examines the challenge of poverty-wage work and how policymakers can encourage and promote work that allows people to have a dignified, quality of life.
This article highlights how public procurement can be a strategy to improve job quality.
In this brief, we highlight key ideas for how the workforce development system can promote workplace health and safety during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
This op-ed discusses the important role of essential workers and how coming out of the pandemic, we can ensure their contributions are fully recognized and valued.
This publication provides a guide to re-opening businesses in the restaurant sector and sets out a long-term vision for the restaurant industry after the shock of COVID-19. Based on input from restaurant owners across the country, the roadmap identifies ways restaurateurs can reimagine how they operate as practical, sustainable, and ethical businesses, including by reforming tipping and restaurant minimum wages. The business examples and innovative ideas have relevance for restaurant owners who are navigating the crisis and for workers and their advocates with a stake in the sector’s trajectory after COVID-19.
This toolkit is designed to equip organizations and businesses with strategies to support employee mental health during the coronavirus pandemic but is relevant as a resource on supporting employee mental health across settings. The guide can be used as an informational document or as a presentation to leaders and managers, including human resources teams and organizational leaders. Included are recommendations to build a culture of empathy and support, links to external resources, and examples of company practices. Individuals supporting businesses or workers may also find the toolkit useful to share with employers to encourage practices that support employee mental health.
In this statement on the economic response to coronavirus, ICA group describes reasons why employee ownership, which helps stabilize workers, businesses and communities, is an important business model to consider during the COVID-19 response. It especially focuses on employee ownership as a pathway to supporting low income workers of color disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. The document identifies policy responses to help expand employee ownership models and may be particularly useful for employers, advocates, and economic development organizations.