Decent work and the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic: A two-wave study1

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The world is going through a challenging historical moment, with the COVID-19 pandemic affecting billions of lives and communities worldwide. OBJECTIVE: Building on the widespread negative impact of the pandemic on the socio-economic context, and consequently on the labour market, the aim of this study was to analyse the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on workers’ perception of decent work. METHODS: The Decent Work Questionnaire was administered to 243 workers from seven Portuguese organisations at two-time points (before and during the pandemic). RESULTS: Results revealed a positive and significant effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on six of seven dimensions of decent work, particularly those related to Meaningful Remuneration for the Exercise of Citizenship and Health and Safety. CONCLUSION: The positive effects of social comparison processes are stronger than the negative effects of the adverse socio-economic context. Faced with the COVID-19 pandemic, workers may have compared their work situation with the condition of other workers, activating an increase in their subjective perception of the value of their current reality.