Providing a foundation for decent work and adequate income during health and economic crises: constitutional approaches in 193 countries

Abstract

PurposeAs coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spreads globally, the economic and health consequences are disproportionately affecting marginalized workers. However, countries' existing labor and social security laws often exclude the most vulnerable workers from coverage, exacerbating existing inequalities. Guaranteeing the rights to adequate income even when ill, decent working conditions and nondiscrimination in constitutions may provide a foundation for protecting rights universally, safeguarding against counterproductive austerity measures, and providing a normative foundation for equality and inclusion as economies recover. The purpose of this article is to examine the prevalence of these rights globally and assess some of their early impacts amid the pandemic.Design/methodology/approachThe authors created and analyzed a database of constitutional rights for all 193 United Nations member states. All constitutions were double coded by an international multidisciplinary, multilingual team of researchers.FindingsThis study finds that 54% of countries take some approach to guaranteeing income security in their constitutions, including 23% that guarantee income security during illness. Thirty-one percent guarantee the right to safe working conditions. Only 36% of constitutions explicitly guarantee at least some aspect of nondiscrimination at work. With respect to equal rights broadly, constitutional protections are most common on the basis of sex (85%), followed by religion (78%), race/ethnicity (76%), socioeconomic status (59%), disability (27%), citizenship (22%), sexual orientation (5%) and gender identity (3%). Across almost all areas, protections for rights are far more common in constitutions adopted more recently.Originality/valueThis is the first study to systematically examine protections for income security and decent work, together with nondiscrimination, in the constitutions of all 193 UN member states.

COVID-19 and decent work: A bibliometric analysis

“…Although there are some connections between these other words, the most relevant links are those between these words and "COVID-19", showing a clear connection between these themes. The cluster content follows the authors' statement [11,12]. Throughout the pandemic, many companies' bankruptcies, job reductions, layoffs, and, consequently, people started to glimpse informal employment as a form of survival [13].…”

“…However, SDGs are broader and present a more detailed scope 43 than the Millennium Development Goals. In addi-44 tion, the SDGs highlight the possibility that different actors establish partnerships allowing greater mobilisation of data, resources and capacity development and technologies, aiming to achieve the mentioned debts while the prices of essential products increased 88 and reduced exports and imports [11,12]. Rocha 89 et al [13] argued that informal work was an alter-90 native for families income and survival in several regions.…”

“…According to Sprague et al [12], different world regions were affected by the consequences of the pandemic. The most significant impact in crises always affects the most marginalised workers, who do not have access to labour rights.…”

Decent work and subjective well-being in Mexico

“…Furthermore, even though there are some studies relating elements of Decent Work to SWB, it was not found a study that encompasses the different elements that makeup Decent Work in its SWB relationship (Cerci and Dumludag, 2019;Karani and Mehta, 2022;Lambert et al, 2021;Valencia et al, 2022). Elements such as workleisure balance, income level, work informality and critical conditions will constitute a way to identify whether the Decent Work construct influences employees' level of SWB (Rashmi and Kataria, 2021;Sprague et al, 2020). Thus, the present study aims to explore which components of Decent Work, according to the definitions of Rashmi and Kataria (2021) and Sprague et al (2020), have a significant association with Subjective Well-Being.…”

“…Decent Work is a multidimensional concept promoted by the International Labour Organization (ILO), used as a reference to establish minimum working conditions in sufficient quantity and quality; it also implies work with freedom, equity, justice and equality (ILO, 1999). Decent Work includes a salary that allows workers and their families a decent life, safe working conditions, access to social security, free time and rest (Rashmi and Kataria, 2021;Sprague et al, 2020). Decent Work is the eighth sustainable development goal of the United Nations and is an essential part of the Agenda of the ILO.…”