For years, there has been a lot of backlash against the “objectification of women”, which i can totally understand because it’s a “dehumanizing” term that looks at people like objects, not as actual human beings.
But the same is happening with the concept of “workers”: If people are referred to as “workers”, that means that they are being reduced to their economic function; to their ability to produce.
That is a dehumanizing term. The view should be that people are humans first, and workers second. People deserve rights, and a good life, not because they’re workers, but because they’re humans. That is how people should be looked at.
I gave you an upvote.
I could see a case for using “working person” instead of “worker.” It’s definitely not the sort of thing that’s agreed to be exploitative language (yet?) though.
What I do for sure bristle at a lot more is referring to people as “resources.” Like, when planning a project, discussing how many “resources” can be “put on the project”. Definitely feels dehumanizing.