Employment Inequalities Among British Minority Ethnic Workers in Health and Social Care at the Time of Covid-19: A Rapid Review of the Literature

Abstract

There are long-standing concerns of inequalities in the workplace among minority ethnic (ME) workers in the UK health and social care (H&SC) sectors. ME workers contribute significantly to H&SC delivery. However, there is considerable evidence of substantial negative experiences among this group across various workplace indicators and outcomes, including (mis)treatment. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated these inequalities with higher infection rates and related deaths among ME health and care workers. A rapid review methodology was employed to examine the work experiences and outcomes of ME workers in H&SC in the UK, focusing on low paid workers. The review identified fifty-one relevant outputs, detailing the nature and extent of inequalities across recruitment, career progression and treatment at work, including bullying and harassment. The findings highlight the impact of the intersectionality of gender, race and migration status concerning the ways inequalities are manifested and operated through individual perceptions and institutional and structural racism.

Abuse and Wellbeing of Long-Term Care Workers in the COVID-19 Era: Evidence from the UK

“…Nevertheless, the dominance of verbal abuse observed in our study was also present in the pre-COVID era (see, for example, [19,53]). Our study findings showed a higher prevalence of abuse incidents among minority ethnic workers, perhaps explained by the lack of empowerment and deeply entrenched negative attitudes, including structural racism, towards minority workers [29,54]. As in other studies [19,21], we found significant differences in abuse experiences between care settings, with such incidents more common in residential care.…”

“…The ongoing challenges in the sector were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, with severe implications on the workforce. The wellbeing of care workers was put to the test, with minority ethnic workers more at risk of challenging experiences [29]. For many, the workload and responsibilities increased directly due to the pandemic.…”

“…It is essential to highlight that despite organisational and governmental processes in place, some workers who took sick leave, self-isolated or were stopped from working as a measure to control the infection reported that they did not receive any pay, adding to the financial challenges already faced by low-paid staff. Crucially, receiving no pay while sick, in a sector characterised by very low wages, is likely to negatively impact all wellbeing aspects of the LTC workers, especially their financial wellbeing [29].…”

“…The workforce is predominantly female (over 80% in England and Scotland) and low-paid, with average pay close to the statutory minimum wage [9,28]. Furthermore, cultural norms and racism explain differentiated experiences among minority ethnic workers and non-UK nationals who are overrepresented in the LTC sector [9,29].…”

“…Previous research has shown that disproportionately gendered and racialised occupations are particularly at risk of workplace violence and abuse [24]. For minority workers, abuse incidents can also often be racially motivated [29,32]. Race and ethnicity can influence the nature and frequency of physical and verbal abuse against LTC workers, although further research on these groups is needed [33][34][35].…”