Understanding Sustainable Development Goal 8: Decent Work in the World of Work

In September 2015, the UN adopted a plan designed to help everyone have a better future. Achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 'Agenda 2030' will require a collective effort from all sectors of society. As the link between all social partners and the principal provider of livelihoods and security, the World of Work is at the heart of this.

In our series #WorldofWorkforSDGs, we’ve set out to shine a light on the touchpoints between the labour market and the Sustainable Development Agenda. As the UN General Assembly returns to New York for its annual meeting, we want to bring our walkthrough of the SDGs home as well, by examining SDG8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth.

What makes work decent?

SDG8 seeks to promote inclusive economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all. This, then, means no less than establishing a truly sustainable global economy that works for the people and empowers everyone to realise their full potential. This is not a goal that lacks ambition and one that can only be achieved through wide-spread collaboration of all stakeholders.

The world of work connects all of us and it is at the forefront of the changes that we need to implement on our way into a sustainable and inclusive future that provides Decent Work. But what is decent work?

Decent Work is the idea that work not only allows us to make a living, but one that also provides us with perspective and room to fulfil our true potential. It means that we have a chance to grow, personally and professionally, to be able to adapt to a changing world around us without facing social precariousness.

Decent Work unequivocally respects everyone’s fundamental human and labour rights at work, actively fighting exploitation, forced labour and child labour. It is rewarded fairly – always and for everyone -- and it provides opportunities to individuals from all backgrounds. This also means that people have access to their full social rights, such as unemployment benefits or sick pay, regardless of their legal status or contract type.

This type of environment treats people, and their skills, as the key assets they are by investing into them to renew workforce instead of treating them as disposable or replaceable. It empowers people to shape a working life that is in a healthy balance with their other responsibilities by giving them flexibility, without exposing them to uncertainty. Decent Work is respectful of worker wellbeing – both physical and emotional.

Only Decent Work is sustainable

In other words, only decent work is sustainable because it actively considers the long-term needs and perspectives of the people at the heart of the world of work by supporting them in building a life for themselves and their families. It also helps promote a healthy work-life balance and by shaping the future of work collaboratively.

Decent Work is something that has to be protected in many arenas and at all points of our employment lives. Starting from ensuring non-discriminatory hiring and making opportunities accessible to all to promoting adaptability when jobs change and being able to have a life outside of work. This means that everyone has a role to play.

The many faces of Decent Work

We are proud to share moving testimonials from our colleagues across the globe who have spoken to us about providing decent work to the people we serve. A shared experience for all of them: Helping people finding the right jobs and giving them access to meaningful employment with long-term perspectives is truly motivating.

Jose is a young Californian who faced difficulty advancing his career because he did not have a high school diploma. Our colleague Ashley and her team provided Jose and other members of his family with a scholarship to obtain their high school diplomas, enabling Jose to achieve his employment dream with the US Marines and his family to access better, decent jobs in a country in which 40% of jobs require a diploma.

Our colleagues Piotr, Anastasiya and Oxana with LHH in Poland worked with a client to support employees who fled the war in Ukraine start a new life in a safe haven for themselves and their families. One way we helped? By providing them with career coaching, training and opportunities for Decent Work. The whole project was delivered by Ukrainian colleagues who had experienced the situation themselves and were passionate to provide fellow refugees with meaningful jobs and new perspectives. However, this is a separate project from Jobs4Ukraine.

Our colleague Claudio from Italy shared the story of how he and his colleagues provide apprenticeships to young people to support them and their families in choosing a career path that best fits their aspirations and talents. Sometimes, these young people’s aspirations may come into conflict with gender stereotypes, as has been the case for six young women from Southern Italy who became professional welders and broke down prejudice in their communities.

Our colleague Kohtaro shared his experiences with the Japanese vision matching project, which aims to improve wellbeing by matching people and jobs based on shared values and thus making work more meaningful for workers in Japan. While the unemployment rate in Japan is very low at 2%, only 25% of workers find their work meaningful. Challenges in the Japanese labour market are to fight disengagement and deteriorating mental health, while also improving accessibility to groups that have traditionally faced hurdles to (re)integrate.

These are some of the many diverse needs in the world of work. Watch their stories in our first video below.