Service sector workforce pummeled by erratic scheduling, research shows

[TexasTowelie]

As we head into the holidays, a significant share of the Nevada workforce will power through the busy retail season without knowing what time they’ll start work, how long their shift will last or even if they’ll be working at all, regardless of what the company schedule says.

In recent years unstable scheduling has spread through some of the nation’s fastest-growing and lowest paying occupations, including retail sales, food service and home care assistants.

New research by the Shift Project at the University of California, Berkeley sheds light on the human costs of unpredictable work schedules.

The findings come from surveys of 30,000 employees at 120 of the largest retail and food-service firms in the United States and shows that the working poor frequently find themselves up against erratic work schedules, with hours and shifts that change day-to-day and week-to-week with little advance notice.

Read more: https://www.nevadacurrent.com/2019/11/08/service-sector-workforce-pummeled-by-erratic-scheduling-research-shows/

[Sherman A1]

1. Worked Retail for 46 years

and it pretty much sucked the life out of you. Work until 10pm back in at 5am (or sometimes 4) with a 30 minute commute in between.

Work days, then overnights, then back to days, then evenings all in the same week and next week will be different. Saturdays and Sundays are part of the work week every week.

Only in the last 20 years of my work life did I get a set daytime schedule not because of the seniority, but because of the job position that required day shifts.