Defining The Essential Worker In The Era Of COVID

Are you an “essential worker?” Am I? Does the contribution you make to the economy and society in general through the course of your work make any difference? Are we essential, or not? Doesn’t every position hold some value to the greater good?

In the era of COVID-19, there has been a great deal of discussion about “essential” workers. What has remained undiscussed is specifically what it is that makes them essential.

And can they work from home and still be essential, or must they remain on the front lines, exposed to the hazards of public interaction? Certainly, first responders are essential employees. So are grocery store employees, as are the truckers who bring their store’s supplies.

What about sanitation workers? Without them there will be no one to haul away the trash left over by all the unessential workers who bought stuff with the help of the essential ones.

Confused yet? We haven’t even discussed the fact that even non-essential workers are essential to someone. Families and loved ones depend on them for sustenance and safety. Does not the facilitation of family security rise to the ranks of essentiality? And is essentiality even a word?