Unstable Schedules: Unwrapping the Challenges and Solutions for Service Workers

1h 16m · Opportunity in America - Events by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program · 20 Nov 23:29

While the holiday season is a time of joy and celebration for many across the United States, it brings uncertainty and stress for workers facing unpredictable schedules. Workers in the service sector in particular are often on call and can have their schedules changed with very little notice. Research by The Shift Project, for example, shows that in fall 2021, a staggering 64% of workers in the service sector received less than two weeks’ notice of their schedule. Unpredictable and unstable schedules are associated with economic, food, and housing insecurity; various health issues; and, for working parents, adverse effects on childrens’ well-being and education.

In recent years, some state and local governments — including Seattle, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, San Jose, and Chicago, and the state of Oregon — have enacted fair workweek laws that provide workers with more stable and predictable scheduling. And some employers have changed their scheduling practices as well, recognizing that unstable schedules can affect business performance and employee turnover. Despite this scattershot progress, however, the status quo of unpredictable scheduling remains largely the same.

In this discussion — which took place on November 15, 2023 — our expert panel discusses the latest research on the experiences of workers grappling with schedule instability, how new technology is helping businesses adopt worker-friendly scheduling practices, what we are learning from states and cities with fair workweek laws, and other opportunities and strategies for change.

Our speakers include Terrysa Guerra (United for Respect), Silvija Martincevic (Deputy), Daniel Schneider (The Shift Project), Elizabeth Wagoner (New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection), and moderator Shalene Gupta.

For more information about this event — including video, audio, transcript, speaker bios, and additional resources — visit our website: as.pn/unstableschedules

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