Abstract
A vast body of respected work on job quality measures exists, however, none yet are worker-informed, equity-centered and specifically designed for the unique challenges of the caregiving sector, which is one of the most occupationally segregated and lowest compensated industries in the country. To that end, The Center for Equity created the following Good Jobs Measures derived from existing, recognized job quality measures and principles (laid out in the AirTable at the bottom of this webpage in the “Conventional Job Quality Measure” column), and filtered through our worker-centered, equity-oriented framework. Our framework and the specific workplace challenges covered by these measures were informed by a “Black Women Best” framework and through the participatory qualitative research we conducted in January 2022 in partnership with caregivers active in SEIU Local 2015 who identify as Black women. The result is a set of worker-informed job quality metrics tailored to the workplace challenges endemic to home care and nursing homes affecting the majority BIPOC and immigrant women caregiving workforce.
This set of pre-researched job quality measures intends to help equip advocates with a worker-centered job quality roadmap. We hope that stakeholders and use the measures and adapt them to their needs in guiding federal, state and local policymakers to maximize the impact of public funding, ensure public dollars are spent on good quality, family-sustaining jobs. Centering equity and worker voice in long-term care is a necessary and long-overdue practice, and we hope to support states, employers and other stakeholders in course-correcting on the racist, sexist legacy of care work in America, beginning with how care job quality is measured.
This resource is found in our Actionable Strategies for Health Organizations: Measurement & Accountability.
