Understanding Workers

Req 1 — Worker Concerns

Using resources available to you, learn about working people and work-related concerns. List and briefly describe or give examples of at least EIGHT concerns of American workers. These may include, but are not limited to, working conditions, workplace safety, hours, wages, seniority, job security, equal-opportunity employment and discrimination, guest workers, automation and technologies that replace workers, unemployment, layoffs, outsourcing, and employee benefits such as health care, child care, profit sharing, continuing education, and retirement benefits.

What Do Workers Care About?

When people go to work every day, they bring more than their skills — they bring their hopes, their families, and their futures. A worker’s concerns are not just about today’s paycheck. They are about whether the workplace is safe, whether there will still be a job next year, and whether the pay is enough to support a family.

This requirement asks you to research and describe at least eight concerns. The list in the requirement gives you plenty of options, but you should go beyond just copying definitions. Think about why each concern matters to real people.

A Scout sitting at a desk with an open notebook, researching worker concerns on a laptop, with sticky notes on the wall behind them listing topics like wages, safety, and benefits

Major Concerns of American Workers

Here is an overview of many concerns that affect workers. Use this as a starting point for your own research — your goal is to pick at least eight and describe them in your own words with real examples.

Working Conditions

Working conditions cover everything about the environment where people do their jobs: temperature, cleanliness, noise, physical demands, and even how workers are treated by supervisors. A warehouse worker in extreme heat and an office worker with a broken chair both have working-conditions concerns — just very different ones.

Workplace Safety

Every year, thousands of workers are injured or killed on the job. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets rules to protect workers, but enforcement is an ongoing challenge. Industries like construction, mining, and agriculture have especially high injury rates.

Hours and Overtime

The Fair Labor Standards Act establishes the standard 40-hour workweek and requires employers to pay overtime (usually 1.5 times the normal rate) for hours beyond 40. But not all workers are covered, and debates continue about which employees should be classified as “exempt” from overtime.

Wages

Wages are one of the most debated labor topics in America. The federal minimum wage sets a floor, but many states and cities set higher minimums. Workers in tipped occupations (like restaurant servers) often have a lower base wage. The question of what constitutes a “living wage” — enough to cover basic needs like housing, food, and transportation — is at the center of many labor discussions.

Job Security and Seniority

Job security means knowing your position is stable and you will not be let go without cause. Seniority systems give advantages (like protection from layoffs or first choice of shifts) to workers who have been with a company the longest. In some industries, seniority is a core part of how things work; in others, it barely exists.

Equal Opportunity and Discrimination

Federal laws prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, and other characteristics. But discrimination still happens — in hiring, in promotions, and in daily treatment on the job. Equal-opportunity employment means that all workers should be judged on their abilities and performance, not who they are.

Automation and Technology

Robots, artificial intelligence, and software can do many tasks faster and cheaper than humans. This creates new, high-skill jobs — but it can also eliminate positions that workers have held for years. Workers in manufacturing, transportation, and even white-collar fields face questions about how technology will change their careers.

Outsourcing and Offshoring

Outsourcing means hiring outside companies to do work that used to be done in-house. Offshoring means moving jobs to other countries where labor costs are lower. Both practices can save companies money, but they can also result in American workers losing their jobs.

Employee Benefits

Benefits include health insurance, retirement plans, paid vacation, sick leave, child care assistance, profit sharing, and continuing education opportunities. For many workers, benefits are as important as the paycheck itself. Whether an employer offers strong benefits can make the difference between a job that supports a family and one that does not.

Other Concerns Worth Exploring

Guest workers — People from other countries who come to the U.S. temporarily to fill specific jobs, often in agriculture or technology
Unemployment and layoffs — What happens when workers lose their jobs, and the systems (like unemployment insurance) designed to help
Child care — Many working parents struggle to afford quality child care, which directly affects their ability to hold a job
Continuing education — Workers who want to learn new skills or earn certifications to advance their careers

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics The BLS provides data on wages, employment, workplace injuries, and many other topics that are useful for researching worker concerns. OSHA — Workers' Rights Learn about workplace safety rights and how workers can report unsafe conditions.

Making It Your Own

The requirement asks you to list and describe at least eight concerns. Here are some strategies for strong responses:

Be specific. Instead of saying “wages are a concern,” explain what the minimum wage debate is about and why it matters.
Use examples. A real statistic or news story brings each concern to life.
Think broadly. Try to cover concerns that affect different types of workers — factory workers, service workers, office workers, and gig workers.
Connect the dots. Many concerns are related. Automation can lead to job insecurity, which affects wages, which affects benefits. Showing these connections demonstrates deeper understanding.

Ready for the Real World

Now that you understand what workers care about, it is time to step outside the classroom and connect with people who are actively working on these issues.