Vulnerabilities in workplace features for essential workers with breast cancer: Implications for the COVID-19 pandemic Journal Article
| Authors: | Klugman, M.; Patil, S.; Gany, F.; Blinder, V. |
| Article Title: | Vulnerabilities in workplace features for essential workers with breast cancer: Implications for the COVID-19 pandemic |
| Abstract: | BACKGROUND: The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the health and financial vulnerabilities of essential workers, especially among women. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to understand the workplace environment of essential workers. METHODS: We used data from a prospective cohort study of disparities in employment outcomes among women undergoing breast cancer treatment between 2010-2018 in New York City. We characterized participants as essential or non-essential based on self-reported occupation/industry and New York State executive orders issued during the pandemic. We compared job benefits and perceptions of workplace environment between groups. RESULTS: There were 563 participants: 341 essential and 222 non-essential workers. Essential workers less frequently reported access to disability pay through work [n(%): 148 (58) versus 130 (73), p<0.01]. Essential workers in unions had greater availability of sick leave and disability pay than non-unionized essential workers (86% versus 53%, p<0.01, and 76% versus 46%, p<0.01, respectively). Health insurance differed by essential worker status (p<0.01): essential workers more frequently had public insurance (29% versus 18%). Surprisingly, in multivariable analyses controlling for age, race/ethnicity, income, education, chemotherapy receipt, and comfort with English, essential workers were less likely to say their employer had treated them unfairly (p<0.01). However, minorities were less likely to say their employer was accommodating (p=0.03) and more likely to say their employer had treated them unfairly (p<0.01) than Non-Latina Whites. CONCLUSIONS: We identified vulnerabilities in workplace protections, particularly among essential workers not in unions. Minority women more often had negative perceptions of their work environment, possibly reflecting employer bias. © 2022 - IOS Press. All rights reserved. |
| Keywords: | disability; employment; benefits; coronavirus; union; sars-cov-2; frontline |
| Journal Title: | Work |
| Volume: | 71 |
| Issue: | 4 |
| ISSN: | 1051-9815 |
| Publisher: | IOS Press |
| Date Published: | 2022-01-01 |
| Start Page: | 815 |
| End Page: | 823 |
| Language: | English |
| DOI: | 10.3233/wor-211095 |
| PROVIDER: | scopus |
| PUBMED: | 35253716 |
| PMCID: | PMC9578109 |
| DOI/URL: | |
| Notes: | Article -- Export Date: 1 June 2022 -- Source: Scopus |
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