Truly Free: Rethinking work in the age of exhaustion – Vatican News

Report on Re-evaluating Labor in the Modern Economy

Introduction: Aligning Economic Models with Sustainable Development Goals

A global meeting, ‘Restarting the Economy’, is scheduled from 28 to 30 November in Castel Gandolfo, promoted by The Economy of Francesco. The event aims to rethink economic principles in alignment with the Jubilee’s focus on social justice, environmental stewardship, and debt freedom. This report analyzes the current state of labor through the lens of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), highlighting systemic challenges and proposing a framework centered on human dignity.

The Contemporary Labor Landscape and its Impact on SDGs

The Paradox of Connectivity and Worker Well-being

Modern technological tools have enabled unprecedented global collaboration but have also fostered a culture of constant availability, leading to widespread exhaustion and burnout. This phenomenon directly contravenes SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), as the pressure to remain persistently connected compromises the mental and physical health of the workforce.

Precarious Employment and Economic Inequality

The rise of the gig economy presents a dual reality. While offering autonomy for some, it frequently enables employers to normalize overwork and exploitation, undermining job security. This trend poses a significant challenge to achieving SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth). The necessity for individuals to hold multiple jobs to survive exacerbates poverty and inequality, working against the objectives of SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). Furthermore, these economic models often rely on the unmeasured and undervalued labor of care workers, who are frequently women and migrants, and the degradation of the environment, impacting SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 13 (Climate Action).

A Critical Analysis of Labor Frameworks and Systemic Barriers

Evaluating “Decent Work” (SDG 8) vs. “Dignified Work”

For the past 25 years, international organizations have promoted the concept of “decent work,” which is central to SDG 8. Progress towards this goal is measured through several key indicators:

1. Average hourly earnings of employees
2. Unemployment rates
3. Rates of fatal and non-fatal occupational injuries

While these metrics are valuable, they represent a top-down approach. An alternative concept, “dignified work,” is proposed, which prioritizes worker autonomy in determining the quality of their employment. This bottom-up framework better aligns with the principles of empowerment central to SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) and the call for just institutions in SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).

Systemic Obstacles to Sustainable Employment

Current labor systems present significant barriers to achieving the SDGs. In many contexts, access to essential benefits like healthcare and paid leave is contingent upon full-time employment status, the definition of which is often set by individual companies. This structure creates systemic disadvantages that impede progress on multiple SDGs.

• Impact on SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being): Workers in part-time, informal, or gig economy roles are often denied access to vital healthcare benefits.
• Impact on SDG 8 (Decent Work): The system creates a form of labor exploitation where workers, especially from marginalized communities, cannot leave unsuitable jobs for fear of losing pay and essential benefits.
• Impact on SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): The burden falls disproportionately on vulnerable populations, forcing them to choose between earning a paycheck and caring for themselves or their families.

Future Challenges and a Proposed Framework for Action

The Role of Artificial Intelligence and Automation

The increasing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) presents a significant challenge to the labor market. The prospect of automation replacing human labor threatens to undermine efforts to achieve full and productive employment as outlined in SDG 8 (Target 8.5). Corporations may leverage the prospect of AI to reduce their workforce, further destabilizing employment and exacerbating economic insecurity.

A Framework for a Dignity-Centered Economy

To address these challenges, a new economic framework is required that moves beyond growth as its sole objective and instead prioritizes human and ecological flourishing. This approach, rooted in the principles of the Jubilee, aligns with a holistic vision of the Sustainable Development Goals.

• Prioritize Human Flourishing: Economic activity should support well-being, not at the expense of human or non-human life, in line with SDG 3 and SDG 15 (Life on Land).
• Recognize the Intrinsic Value of Work: All forms of labor should be viewed as contributing to the societal good, promoting the principles of SDG 8.
• Emphasize Employer Social Responsibility: Employers must play a key role in ensuring work is a source of dignity, supporting fair and just outcomes for all stakeholders.
• Center Worker Dignity: By empowering workers and ensuring they are a vital part of the process, the economy can more effectively advance SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) and foster sustainable and inclusive growth.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article highlights several issues related to the modern economy and the nature of work, which directly and indirectly connect to multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The primary focus is on the quality of work, but this extends to broader themes of health, inequality, and sustainable economic models.

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  This is the most explicitly mentioned and central SDG in the article. The text directly references “Sustainable Development Goal 8” and its aim to promote “decent work”. The entire discussion revolves around the challenges to achieving this goal, including burnout, the gig economy, exploitation, lack of benefits, and the threat of AI replacing human labor.

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

  The article repeatedly mentions the negative health impacts of modern work culture. Phrases like “exhaustion and burnout” and the dilemma where workers “must decide between caring for themselves (or a loved one) or getting a paycheck” directly link the discussion to physical and mental well-being, which is the core of SDG 3.

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

  The article points out that the negative impacts of the current economic system are not evenly distributed. It states that “workers, especially those from traditionally marginalized communities, cannot leave jobs” due to the loss of vital benefits. It also mentions the “invisible labor of our care workers, who are often also migrants,” highlighting how specific, often vulnerable, groups are disproportionately affected by labor exploitation, which is a key concern of SDG 10.

• SDG 1: No Poverty

  The concept of working multiple jobs out of “necessity to get by or merely survive” connects the issue of poor-quality work to poverty. The article discusses the “erosion of our safety nets” and how the lack of benefits like healthcare and paid leave creates economic vulnerability, trapping people in precarious situations. This relates to the goal of eradicating poverty and establishing social protection systems.

• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

  The article critiques economic models that “reward cost minimization” at the expense of human and natural well-being. It mentions that these economies rely on the “degradation of the natural world,” which directly connects the discussion to the need for more sustainable patterns of production and a shift away from a growth-only mindset, a central theme of SDG 12.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the specific issues discussed, several targets within the identified SDGs are relevant.

1. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value. This is relevant to the article’s core theme of promoting “decent work” and the alternative concept of “dignified work” that ensures workers feel valued.
   • Target 8.8: Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers, in particular women migrants, and those in precarious employment. This target is directly addressed through the discussion of the gig economy, “short-term work,” the “threat of being replaced,” and the exploitation of care workers and migrants.

2. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

   • Target 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being. The article’s focus on “exhaustion and burnout” as a consequence of the “always on call” work culture directly relates to promoting mental health and well-being in the workplace.

3. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

   • Target 10.4: Adopt policies, especially fiscal, wage and social protection policies, and progressively achieve greater equality. This is reflected in the critique of US labor laws where access to benefits like “healthcare, flexible working arrangements, or paid leave” is tied to full-time status, disproportionately affecting marginalized communities and creating inequality.

4. SDG 1: No Poverty

   • Target 1.3: Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable. The article’s emphasis on the “erosion of our safety nets” and the loss of “vital benefits” like healthcare highlights the failure to provide adequate social protection, which this target aims to address.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article explicitly mentions some official indicators and implies several others that could be used to measure progress.

• Explicitly Mentioned Indicators:

  The article states that for SDG 8, multinational agencies use “several target indicators that let us know if a country enables decent work,” specifically naming:

  1. Average hourly earnings (Official Indicator 8.5.1)
  2. Unemployment rates (Official Indicator 8.5.2)
  3. Occupational injury rates (Official Indicator 8.8.1)

• Implied Indicators:

  The article’s discussion suggests other ways to measure the problems it describes:

  1. Prevalence of work-related burnout and exhaustion: This could be measured through national health and labor surveys to track progress on mental well-being (SDG 3). The article’s central theme is the “age of exhaustion.”
  2. Proportion of the workforce in non-standard forms of employment: This would measure the scale of the “gig economy” and “short-term work,” which the article links to precariousness and potential exploitation (SDG 8).
  3. Percentage of workers with access to social protections: Measuring access to benefits like “healthcare” and “paid leave” for all workers, not just full-time employees, would be a direct indicator of the strength of social safety nets (SDG 1, SDG 10).
  4. Rates of job displacement due to automation and AI: The article mentions the fear that “human efforts can be automated” and corporations using “the prospect of AI as a reason to reduce headcount.” Tracking this would be crucial for understanding the future of work (SDG 8).

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: vaticannews.va