The February session of Hot Topics in Practice will discuss legal epidemiology methods used to measure how agricultural workers are differentially included in labor laws. Three labor protections– workers’ compensation, minimum wage, and overtime pay – were measured for inclusivity of agricultural workers across 39 states, to create a labor law equity index. In this hour-long webinar, the presenter will discuss the importance of understanding the status of laws to help monitor how labor protections shape health for agricultural workers across the country. States with higher scores indicate more inclusive or protective laws, while states with lower scores indicate fewer protective laws. By the end of the webinar, participants will be able to explain the ways agricultural workers have been historically excluded from labor protections and other workers benefits and have a better understanding of legal epidemiology as a field of study.
Learning Objectives
- Define and describe legal epidemiology as field of study.
- Explain agricultural exceptionalism, or the ways that agricultural workers have historically been excluded from labor protections that other workers benefit from.
- Discuss the differences in labor laws across 39 states for agricultural workers.
Intended Audiences
Local, state, and tribal public health practitioners
Presenters
Erica Chavez Santos, PhD, MPH
Occupational Health Equity Researcher
Work Equity Research Center, WA State Department of Labor & Industries Safety & Health Assessment & Research for Prevention
Discussion Questions
- How can you apply what we learned in this presentation for other groups of workers?
- Are there other labor laws you would want to include in this index?
- What was your biggest takeaway from this presentation?
- Can you see yourself using or applying legal epidemiology methods to your work? In what ways?
Resources
- N/A
Continuing Education Credits
Up to 1 CPH recertification credit may be earned by viewing this webinar. Visit the National Board of Public Health Examiners to learn more.
