Occupational Health and Informal Work

According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), more than 60% of the world’s employed population earn their livelihood in the informal economy. Informal workers generally lack the protections that may be afforded those in the formal economy: access to social security programs, workers’ compensation, government regulation, and sick/holiday time and pay. This has profound implications for occupational health and safety (OHS). In a recent report on the informal economy (ILO, 2018), the ILO states that “informality has a harmful effect on workers’ rights, including fundamental principles and rights at work, social protection, decent working conditions and the rule of law.”