An essential worker is a public or private sector employee who is considered to provide an essential service. Essential workers are those whose jobs cannot be done remotely and are necessary to maintain critical infrastructure and continue critical services and functions. The term has been used in the United Kingdom in the context of workers who may find it difficult to carry out their jobs during a crisis. Examples of essential workers include:

• Healthcare workers: All paid and unpaid persons serving in healthcare settings who have the potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials. This includes persons not directly involved in patient care, but potentially exposed to infectious agents while working in a healthcare setting.

• First responders: These are the people communities depend on in emergencies, such as paramedics, firefighters, and police.

• Postal service workers: This group makes sure vital packages get delivered, along with providing other key services.

• Public transit workers: These are the people who make it possible for other essential workers to get to their jobs (e.g transportation systems) .

• Workers in grocery stores, health care, delivery services, retail establishments, agriculture, and other essential industries: These workers have remained on the job despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

Essential workers are categorized into three groups: essential healthcare workers, frontline essential workers, and other essential workers. The majority of essential workers are employed in health care, food and agriculture, and the industrial, commercial, residential facilities and services industry.