The Case for Good Jobs: How Great Companies Bring Dignity, Pay, and Meaning to Everyone’s Work – A Book Talk with Zeynep Ton

From healthcare facilities to call centers, from fulfillment centers to factories, and from restaurants to retail stores, companies are struggling to find or keep workers — because the jobs they offer are low-paying, they’re stressful, and they provide little chance for growth and success. In “The Case for Good Jobs: How Great Companies Bring Dignity, Pay, and Meaning to Everyone’s Work,” Zeynep Ton, MIT professor and co-founder of the nonprofit Good Jobs Institute, lays out plainly what needs to be done to improve jobs and company performance. In this follow-up to her previous book, “The Good Jobs Strategy,” Ton examines the “why” and “how” of the good jobs system to help leaders and managers overcome the disconnect between recognizing a better model and having the courage to implement it. On May 10, the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program hosted a book talk with Ton to learn more about the disadvantages of low-paying and high-turnover jobs; the components of a good job system and the benefits this approach creates; how labor investments can pay for themselves; the obstacles to creating a good jobs system; and how leaders can break free and overcome these challenges to create good jobs that offer a living wage, dignity, and opportunities for growth to foster success for their employees and their organization. For more information about this event — including video, audio, transcript, speaker bios, and additional resources — visit our website: https://www.aspeninstitute.org/events/the-case-for-good-jobs-how-great-companies-bring-dignity-pay-and-meaning-to-everyones-work/