Possibility Lab Releases New Report Evaluating the Impact of the California COVID-19 Workplace Outreach Project

“The pandemic accelerated many innovations in government, and the COVID-19 Workforce Outreach Project is one example of how government adapted in real-time to address urgent worker needs,” said Dr. Meredith Sadin, Faculty Affiliate at the UC Berkeley Possibility Lab and Assistant Research Professor of Public Policy. “Our research underscores the importance of outreach efforts that are deeply rooted in trust, culturally competent, and well-supported by the state. These factors collectively contribute to significant improvements in workplace safety and labor rights awareness, ultimately empowering workers to better understand and exercise their rights.”

Key Finding: Workers are hesitant to file official workplace complaints, but CWOP engagement is associated with higher trust and awareness

• Workers are reluctant to file official workplace complaints with the state because they do not know the process, assume it will be complicated, fear employer retaliation, and don’t believe anything will change.
• CWOP-engaged workers are more aware of potential work violations and more interested in learning about workplace protections relative to a statewide sample of low-wage workers.
• Workers distrust all levels of government when it comes to helping them with issues in the workplace, but CWOP-engaged workers are more likely to trust community organizations relative to the statewide sample of low-wage workers.

Key Findings: CWOP’s trusted messenger model is a critical bridge between workers and the government

• Many CWOP CBOs are culturally-relevant system navigators, serving as a bridge between the community and government.
• It takes time for CBOs to gain the trust of communities. Many invest in the long-term process of building trust by providing multiple layers of culturally competent language assistance; following up with workers and being responsive outside conventional hours or methods of contact; and meeting people where they are by conducting outreach in informal, local, and social settings.
• Vulnerable workers say they would be more likely to reach out to a CBO if it helped their friends and coworkers or if staff spoke their language.

Key Finding: Co-branding outreach materials and destigmatizing language can help engagement

• An embedded survey experiment in the statewide survey indicates that co-branding outreach materials with both government agency and CBO logos is perceived as more helpful, trustworthy, accessible relative to information with only CBO branding.
• A messaging experiment within the statewide survey indicates that using destigmatizing language can motivate workers to seek additional support and information.

Opportunities for CWOP and Other Trusted Messenger Models to Improve Moving Forward

To improve impact of CWOP moving forward, the Possibility Lab suggests:

• Co-Branding Outreach Materials: Incorporating government agency logos on CBO outreach materials can enhance credibility and trust among workers.
• Destigmatizing Workplace Challenges: Messaging that normalizes seeking assistance for workplace issues increases worker engagement.
• Facilitating CBO Collaboration: CBOs benefit from coordination but require structured opportunities to connect and share expertise.
• Enhancing Government Responsiveness: Strengthening government agency capacity can improve enforcement and maintain trust between workers and CBOs.
• Supporting CBOs in Providing Direct Assistance: Given the magnitude of the issue, the state can support CBOs to facilitate both formal and informal redress processes.
• Aligning Reporting Requirements: Metrics should reflect the depth and quality of CBO engagement rather than solely emphasizing quantity.
• Extending Contract Lengths: Longer funding cycles can support sustainable relationship-building and program growth.
• Strengthening Two-Way Communication: Continued dialogue between CBOs and state agencies is essential for adapting to evolving labor laws and worker needs.

“Faced with the COVID crisis,  we needed to quickly figure out how to educate workers on the front lines who faced the greatest risk of exposure but were the least likely to report safety violations to authorities,” said Stewart Knox, Secretary of the Labor & Workforce Development Agency. “The Possibility Lab study shows our strategy was effective. Workers who participated in CWOP have a better understanding of their rights and can more easily find support in reporting violations. LWDA is proud to continue investing in this outreach model.” 

Background on CWOP
In response to COVID-19, CWOP introduced an innovative, community-based model by partnering with community-based organizations (CBOs) across six regions throughout California. These organizations served as a trusted messenger network to engage workers in high-risk industries, including agriculture, food services, retail, janitorial, manufacturing, and more. To date, the program has recorded approximately 7.5 million touchpoints with workers, partnered with more than 76 CBOs from 2023-2024, and has expanded beyond COVID-19 protections to address broader workplace issues, such as wage theft, employer retaliation, and workers’ compensation.

In 2023, the Possibility Lab launched a project to understand and evaluate the CWOP program and explore the benefits and challenges of the CWOP model. The Lab used a mixed methods approach, consisting of four interrelated data collection efforts. First, the Lab conducted individual and group interviews with 36 staffers from a total of 19 community-based organizations (CBOs). Then, the team fielded a statewide survey with 1,901 low-wage workers in California. The survey included two embedded survey experiments to examine the impact of different outreach messengers and messages on workers’ attitudes and actions. Finally, the Lab partnered with CWOP CBOs to field a CWOP-engaged worker survey (N=170), which was distributed directly to the subset of highly vulnerable workers on CWOP CBOs’ existing contact lists. Through these distinct but interrelated data collection efforts, the research team was able to gain a better understanding of the myriad stakeholders and beneficiaries of this complex program. 

This research was supported by the California Collaborative for Public Health Research (CPR3), which was funded by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). The findings and conclusions in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of CDPH or the California Health and Human Services Agency.