Heatwaves have swept the country, forcing many of us to go inside and crank the AC. But for others, that is not an option and it’s affecting not only their health, but also their income.
A new report from employment benefits platform Atticus revealed 1 in 2 heat-exposed workers lose income due to reduced hours amid heatwaves. Because of this, a large number of outside workers are looking to shift careers to achieve economic stability.
“Overall, 29% of workers experience a severe decrease in job satisfaction during heat waves,” the report states. “More specifically, 37% of outdoor workers and 24% of indoor workers feel severely less satisfied.”
As NBC News points out, from 1992 to 2017, heat stress injuries killed nearly 1,000 U.S. workers and seriously injured more than 70,000, per the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
In a 2018 government report released by the Union of Concerned Scientist study revealed 7.6 million construction and extraction workers stood to lose $1,900 in annual income by in a few years due to their hours being restricted due to high heat. Another quarter of these workers would risk missing out on $3,000 or more annually.
“During Covid there were so many people who were deemed essential workers and critically important but not being treated as such and they had to choose between their health and paycheck,” said Rachel Licker, a rep with the Union of Concerned Scientists who co-created the study. “It felt similar to what we’ve seen with workers in the face of climate change unless things really change.”