EAP and COVID-19: Pandemic Exposes Vulnerabilities of Workers on Farms

Abstract

Food is essential, and as long as it is available in a time of emergency, we feel greater security. The workers who make this possible deserve any and all protections at their disposal. Yet those at the beginning of the supply chain—people who do farm work—are the least protected workers in the country, and the vulnerability and insecurity we are experiencing now is something they deal with on a regular basis. They are at greater risk for exposure to dangerous diseases due to their living and employment conditions, are less likely to afford missing work or seeking health care when sick, and, because of their racial background and precarious legal status, face additional stress and discrimination when requesting medical services.