Signs of the Times #38: Questions of Work in Light of COVID-19 ft. Dan Graff, Ph.D.

How has the pandemic impacted workers around the country? Who is most responsible for a healthy economy? What does a robust version of the common good look like? And what does a return to “normal” look like? We explore these questions and more in today’s episode with Dan Graff, Ph.D., Director of the Higgins Labor Program and faculty joint appointment with the History Department and the Center for Social Concerns. The current pandemic has impacted everyone’s work, but that work has been impacted in many different and distinct ways. A greater appreciation has been realized for the indispensable and often undervalued work that people perform. Dan shares that he is hopeful that the heightened visibility that comes with classifying ordinary workers as essential and realizing how essential they are could lead to the potential for policy changes that create a more robust safety net and security system for ordinary people. He also shares his views on how this pandemic could influence the workforce for years to come.