Report highlights pandemic working conditions for Asian & Latinx workers
Low-wage Asian and Latinx workers have significant health concerns due to COVID-19 but lack basic safety and wage protections and information, while facing retaliation from employers and harassment from customers, according to a new report from Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus and LOHP.

The report, Few Options, Many Risks: Low-Wage Asian and Latinx Workers in the COVID-19 Pandemic, is based on survey responses from 636 primarily low-wage Asian and Latinx workers and captures workers’ experiences across several industries, particularly restaurant, home health care, janitorial, and hospitality. It also includes powerful stories from workers – of not getting training or protections, getting exposed or sick, being denied paid time off, and facing retaliation.
Key findings include:
  • 1/5 of workers received no information about COVID-19 protections; 3/5 did not get accurate information about their right to paid sick leave
  • A large percentage did not receive adequate protection from COVID-19; for example, 1/3 were not able to physically distance
  • Many workers were afraid to bring up concerns to their employer; for those who did, 44% reported the employer did not address the problem, and 15% reported retaliation against them or co-workers
Unfortunately, many of the structural issues faced by workers are likely to continue even after the pandemic subsides. “Vaccination will protect workers from the coronavirus, but a shot won’t immunize them against employer retaliation, low wages, and unsafe working conditions,” says Alejandra Domenzain, LOHP Program Coordinator and co-author of the report. 

The research team developed policy recommendations based on the findings, to protect the health and well-being of California workers both during and after the pandemic. “We organized a community forum with policymakers and worker advocates to discuss how these findings can support ongoing legislative efforts to get stronger workplace protections,” describes Alejandra. 

The report is available in English, Spanish, Chinese. Click here for more information and press coverage of the report.
Safe Jobs 4 Youth Month
1st Place: Diana Wong-Huang, Fremont, CA
Worker's Bill of Rights
With the shortage of workers in food and other service sectors, employers are turning to teen workers as a critical source to fill their workforce. A recent report from UC Berkeley’s Labor Center describes that almost half of California’s essential workers during the pandemic were under 25. Safe Jobs 4 Youth Month – California’s public awareness campaign held in May each year – is more important than ever. We know teens are often not taught about their rights at work or how to recognize hazards. This year’s SJ4Y Resource Kit includes tools for teachers and community-based youth employment programs to teach young workers to recognize and problem-solve around workplace safety issues–including protection from COVID-19 exposure. The Kit has a new “Escape Room” activity to learn about COVID-19, a work permit quiz, and a webinar for educators who are teaching about job safety remotely. Also available is the winning teen-designed poster, created by Diana Wong-Huang from Fremont, CA, which highlights the fact that ALL workers need protection, and that this starts with knowing your rights. Check out the Kit or, to request a poster, contact lohp@berkeley.edu. Throughout the month of May, LOHP coordinated a social media campaign, sharing tools and resources for youth and educators and inspiration from current and past youth and labor leaders. For more information on our young worker projects, contact Diane Bush at dbush@berkeley.edu


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Meet our Interns!
One of LOHP’s roles is to support the training of public health professionals through a variety of internship programs. We usually offer a summer internship for graduate students from the School of Public Health, and we create student employment positions for both graduate and undergraduate students. LOHP is also part of the national Occupational Health Internship Program (OHIP), which provides full-time, paid summer internships designed to link the skills and interests of students with the needs of workers employed in an under-served or high hazard job. Students are placed with a union or worker organization and an academic institution, like LOHP. Through these various internships, we hope students gain an understanding of ways to educate and empower workers and communities to take an active role in making workplaces safe, healthy, dignified, and just.

This year, our summer MPH intern is Maria Alvarez, who is in the Global Health and Environment Program and is working on our COVID-19 and young worker projects. We also worked with Monica Velazquez, a UC Davis MPH student who helped lead our Safe Jobs for Youth Month social media campaign! On the OHIP front, LOHP is hosting four interns in two projects, one with UNITE HERE exploring the multifaceted impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hotel housekeepers and the other with UFCW assessing the effectiveness of an OSHA30 training program in the cannabis industry. Thank you to our interns for their important contributions!
Maria Alvarez, LOHP Intern 2021
"So far, I've had such a wonderful and positive experience as the LOHP summer intern. This internship opened my eyes to wonderful work and research involving worker rights and safety in the occupational health field. I am constantly inspired to keep learning and promoting safer and healthier working environments." 
Constancia Dominguez, OHIP Intern 2021
"Interning and completing research with LOHP and their partners has been extremely valuable as I have networked with professionals who have the perspective of incorporating their passion to fight for worker rights with occupational health & safety through education. My project this summer is focused on the Cannabis industry and I am extremely looking forward to being able to speak with experts from the industry about their work experiences and translating those valuable interpersonal skills to my future career as an Industrial Hygienist.
Genesis Miranda, OHIP Intern 2021
"My internship with OHIP so far has been amazing. Getting the in-person experience and speaking to workers face-to-face has only further fueled my passion for occupational health and a career in advancing worker safety."
Cal/OSHA updates COVID-19 Emergency Prevention Standards
Cal/OSHA’s emergency standards (ETS) describe what employers must do to protect workers from COVID-19 and the steps they must take if there are cases at the worksite. The ETS was updated in June to reflect the increased availability of vaccinations as an important tool to prevent infection and changes went into effect June 17. Here are a few of the key changes: Physical distancing and partitions are no longer required in most cases, unless there is an outbreak at the worksite. Vaccinated workers are not required to wear face coverings (but can if they choose to) and face coverings continue to be required indoors for unvaccinated workers. Employers are required to provide N95s, which are more protective, to unvaccinated workers on request. Vaccinated workers do not need to be excluded from work if they are exposed to a case – unless they have COVID-19 symptoms. As before, unvaccinated workers do need to be excluded from work for at least 10 days – with pay and benefits. Employers are still required to notify workers of any possible exposure to COVID-19, as well as provide training and encourage workers to participate in the site’s COVID-19 Prevention Program. The Standards Board and Cal/OSHA are continuing to monitor workplace cases to determine if more changes, either to strengthen, clarify or relax restrictions, are needed over the coming months.

For more information on the changes - check out these resources from Cal/OSHA:
LOHP in the Field
Young Workers Leadership Academy 2021 Reunion
Here is a glimpse at some of our recent work:
  • Conducted 8 interactive remote trainings this spring, as part of our School Action for Safety and Health (SASH) program. These trainings focused on helping school employees learn about hazards on their job and the most effective ways to control them, as well as their rights under Cal/OSHA, including Cal/OSHA’s COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS). 

  • Hosted the first-ever Young Worker Leadership Academy reunion where the four teams of high school students, their adult advisors, and youth mentors came back together after Safe Jobs for Youth Month to share what they did for their community projects about young worker health and safety and what they learned along the way.  

  • Conducted Spanish-language training for non-union janitors in collaboration with Maintenance Cooperation Trust Fund, focusing on vaccines and workplace protections. Trained three MCTF staff to conduct workshops on Cal/OSHA's COVID-19 ETS and safe cleaning, and they will now train janitors.

  • Collaborated with the California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative in a Facebook Live “Question & Answer” session to address questions from nail salon employers and workers about changes to the Cal/OSHA requirements and the state’s re-opening.

  • Conducted a workshop in collaboration with UCSF's Pandemic Initiative for Equity and Action for over 200 state employees assigned to COVID-related work – on issues faced by low-wage workers and Cal/OSHA's ETS.  

  • Carried out follow-up surveys and interviews with participants in our COVID-19 worker leader trainings and our regional workshops for staff from worker and community organizations – to learn about the impact of our trainings.
New Available Resources
Safe Cleaning Fact Sheet - in English and Spanish 

Low-literacy fact sheet that describes how cleaning products affect workers’ health, what employers and workers can do to work safely with these products, and the importance of safer products. English, Spanish

Our mailing address is:
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2199 Addison Street
Berkeley, CA 94720-7360

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