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

Author

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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)

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Astrid M. Villamil & Suzy D’Enbeau, 2021. "Essential Work in the U.S. during COVID-19: Navigating Vulnerability–Sustainability Tensions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-18, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:19:p:10665-:d:643173
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    Cited by:

    1. Ridhya Goyal & Gurvinder Kaur, 2023. "Identifying the impact of employer branding in the retention of nurses: the mediating role of organizational culture and career development," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-10, December.
    2. Jacqueline Tilton & Kristen Lucas & Jennifer J. Kish-Gephart & Justin K. Kent, 2024. "Enduring, Strategizing, and Rising Above: Workplace Dignity Threats and Responses Across Job Levels," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 195(2), pages 353-374, November.
    3. Rivera-Cuadrado, Wayne, 2023. "Healthcare practitioners’ construction of occupational risk during the COVID-19 pandemic," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 331(C).

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