A key worker, also called a critical worker, is a worker in an occupation considered to provide an essential service and, on that basis, given preferential treatment by government policy, such as exemption from restrictions placed on the general population or priority access to certain benefits. The term is used commonly in the United Kingdom; comparable designations elsewhere include "essential worker" in the United States.
Global Context
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimated in a 2023 report World Employment and Social Outlook: The Value of Essential Work, that key workers made up about 52% of total employment across the 90 countries with available data. That statistic fell to around 34% in high-income countries.
The report then grouped key workers into eight different categories: food systems, health, retail, security, manual work, cleaning and sanitation, transport, and technical and clerical roles. It also reported that key employees earned on average 26% less than other employees, that many worked on temporary contracts or long and irregular hours, and that a large share lacked full social protection.
During public health emergencies, governments may designate categories of key or essential workers who are exempted from restrictions applied to the wider population. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many governments identified such workers, typically including health and social care, food production and distribution, public safety, transport, utilities, and ...education staff.
United States
In the United States, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued guidance from March 2020 identifying "essential critical infrastructure workers" across sectors such as healthcare, food and agriculture, energy, water, transport, and public safety; many states used the guidance to decide which workers were exempt from stay-at-home orders.
United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, schools were closed to most pupils but remained open to the children of key workers, so a child qualified for a place if at least one parent worked in a designated role. On 19 March 2020, the UK government defined the key worker categories for this purpose as health and social care; education and childcare; key public services; local and national government; food and other necessary goods; public safety and national security; transport; and utilities, communication and ...financial services.
Singapore
In Singapore, during the "circuit breaker" period beginning in April 2020, most workplaces had to suspend on-site operations unless they provided essential services such as healthcare, food supply, utilities, transport, banking, and cleaning.
Australia
In Australia, during the Omicron wave in early 2022, the National Cabinet designated essential workers in sectors such as health and care, food and grocery, transport and logistics, energy and water, and emergency services who could keep working after close contact with a COVID-19 case rather than isolating.
Recruitment and Retention
In some countries, key worker status is used to help attract or retain workers in occupations that are difficult to fill.
Dedicated key worker housing in Basingstoke, England, built in 2005/06
In the United Kingdom, the term has also been applied to public-sector workers who may struggle to buy or rent a home in the area where they work. From the mid-2000s, as house prices rose relative to incomes, many local authorities and other public bodies, especially in London and the South East, reported difficulty recruiting and retaining staff who were paid less than private-sector counterparts and could not afford local housing. In response, schemes such as the Key Worker Living programme offered support including low-cost loans and shared ownership.
Under the Key Worker Living programme, eligible roles included clinical National Health Service staff, teachers and nursery nurses, police officers and some civilian police staff, prison and probation staff, social workers and therapists, local authority planners, firefighters, and some Ministry of Defence personnel; the definition could extend to support staff essential to those roles.
Skilled Migration in Austria
In Austria, the term is applied to skilled migrants in designated "shortage occupations," drawn from a list adjusted annually. The country also provides for a self-employed key worker whose occupation is judged to create macroeconomic benefit beyond its own operational value.
