Essential employees during the Covid-19 crisis

The [Coronavirus Disease 2019] Covid-19 health crisis has led to unprecedented disruption to the economy and society. A significant share of employees are no longer working due to the widespread shutdown of certain sectors. Vast numbers of other employees find themselves working from home, in an effort to comply with social distancing measures. However, a large number of employees perform critical functions that are key to keeping our health system, economy and society functioning during the crisis. For these essential employees, working from home is not an option. With schools, creches and universities closed, this raises particular challenges for these types of workers, especially those with family caring requirements. In this report, we use Irish Labour Force Survey data to profile the characteristics of essential workers. We pay particular attention to the family structure, such as whether the employee has children and the age of those children, in order to evaluate the potential challenges faced by those who are combining work with family responsibilities. We also examine the status of the spouses of essential workers. For example, with the closure of schools and creches, if both parents are essential employees, this may present particular challenges.