Were Essential Workers, Essential?

Description

An interdisciplinary team decides to reunite over dinner at Jack Astor’s after working remotely for three years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. After all team members gather and facilitate a group check-in, a conversation about the pandemic begins. Each group member discusses how the pandemic has changed their lives and the function of many employees’ day-to-day lives, with some workers being essential and others being forced to work from home and not at all. The conversation started as a dialogue of shared experiences to a heated discussion about what jobs and roles should have been considered “essential” and if it was appropriate for such classification during the pandemic. Some group members believe the division of essential workers was beneficial as it increased and enforced safety protocol during the pandemic; others think it was not helpful as essential jobs and resources were not considered. Through the conflict, the team explores essential work and how it goes beyond the Government regulated ones through collaborating instead of competing opposing views. The team members took the time to listen to one another and developed an understanding of each other's perspectives.