Mixed in with all the other COVID-19 news, you may have heard the term “essential workers” or “essential services.” They basically refer to services (and the service’s employees) that are considered invaluable to the running of our country.
You may have also noticed how much of a frenzy has been generated around appreciating essential workers and thanking them for working during the pandemic.
However, looking more closely at the situation that essential workers are placed in, this craze is extremely patronizing to many of the workers in question. Meaning, this effort comes off as ingenuine and downright fake.
First, most of the time this praise is linked directly to irresponsible behaviour on the part of the general public. Second, this attitude is patronizing because most essential workers are not given a choice to work in these conditions, but rather must do so due to a lack of options.
The first issue is relatively simple and well-illustrated with an example. Imagine a shopper at a grocery store. By coming to the store, they have knowingly put the lives of its employees in potential turmoil. It has to be done, as people shouldn’t have to starve, but the danger must be acknowledged and recognized.
Do you think that the poor employee will appreciate being told “thank you”? No. They are much more likely to appreciate you staying home and not making the problem worse. Simply put, the issue boils down to this: your “thank you” doesn’t make up for your irresponsible behaviour, even if it’s behaviour that has to be done.
If you really, genuinely want to thank essential workers, then simply stay at home and obey social distancing protocols. When you do go out, keep it quick and keep it vital.
This goes doubly for businesses whose essential status is dubious, to say the least. No, your morning coffee is not essential. No, your bottle of wine from the LCBO is not essential. Yet people will still use these services, and then (almost as if to clear their guilt) rant about how thankful they are for the workers forced into working during a global pandemic.
One such example is Senators forward Brady Tkachuk said, “To all those going to work to provide the essential services, just want you to know we are all thinking of you.”
We’ve already agreed as a society that saying “thoughts and prayers” is annoying and disingenuous. Thanking essential workers is exactly the same deal and is just as useless.
On the second issue, thanking essential workers comes off as patronizing because many of them don’t have a choice in the matter. You can put money on the fact that very few essential workers get up with a hero complex. That is, they only want to go to work to help the populace!
Rather, they go to work and risk their health because they have bills to pay and jobs to keep. So, no, essential workers are not heroes, they are potential martyrs to save the economy.
If you genuinely appreciate what essential workers are doing, then show it with more than a sappy tweet or lawn sign. Campaign for higher wages, vote for politicians who are pro-union, and use essential services as little as possible. If you’re not willing to actually make a change to help these workers, at least don’t hide the fact that you don’t care about their wellbeing.
The COVID-19 situation is a tough time for those who don’t have the privilege of sitting at home in their comfy pajamas sipping a mug of hot cocoa. Essential workers go through a lot in the best of times, and the pandemic isn’t making things easier.
So, don’t thank essential services workers for their service. Rather, help make their lives easier by acting in their best interest.
Photo by Tim Austen.
