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Vulnerabilities in workplace features for essential workers with breast cancer: Implications for the COVID-19 pandemic.
Klugman, Madelyn; Patil, Sujata; Gany, Francesca; Blinder, Victoria.
  • Klugman M; Department of Medicine, New York-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
  • Patil S; Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
  • Gany F; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
  • Blinder V; Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
Work ; 71(4): 815-823, 2022.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2080074
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.
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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Breast Neoplasms / COVID-19 Type of study: Cohort study / Experimental Studies / Observational study / Prognostic study / Randomized controlled trials Limits: Female / Humans / Male Language: English Journal: Work Journal subject: Occupational Medicine Year: 2022 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: Wor-211095

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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Breast Neoplasms / COVID-19 Type of study: Cohort study / Experimental Studies / Observational study / Prognostic study / Randomized controlled trials Limits: Female / Humans / Male Language: English Journal: Work Journal subject: Occupational Medicine Year: 2022 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: Wor-211095