Essential Work in the U.S. during COVID-19: Navigating Vulnerability–Sustainability Tensions

Astrid M. Villamil and Suzy D’Enbeau
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Astrid M. Villamil: Communication Department, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
Suzy D’Enbeau: School of Communication Studies, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44240, USA

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 19, 1-18

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic affected every functioning system in the United States. Workers deemed “essential” faced multiple threats to their well-being that quickly led to acute symptoms of anxiety, depression, burnout, and overall exhaustion, and organizations were challenged to devise employee protocols to maintain sustainability. This qualitative study takes a tension-centered approach to discern how “essential workers” in the United States navigated this tenuous work landscape, particularly with regard to emotional work and workplace dignity. We conducted 19 semi-structured in-depth interviews with essential workers during COVID-19. Our constant comparative analysis of the data identified a macro-tension between vulnerability and sustainability that was revealed through two micro-tensions: (a) essential work as instrumental and disposable, and (b) workplace dignity as recognized and transgressed. We unpack the emotional responses enmeshed in these micro-tensions and situate our findings at the intersection of organizational sustainability, emotional work and workplace dignity. We offer theoretical and practical implications for essential workers and organizations.

Keywords: organizational sustainability; emotional communication; workplace dignity; tensions; essential work; COVID-19 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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