Workplace Flexibility 2010

Low-Wage Workers

Low-wage workers face a number of different scheduling challenges that flexible work arrangements can help address.

In addition to low-wages, many of these workers have few opportunities for meaningful input into the hours that they work. Many work unpredictable schedules, getting notice of their weekly schedule only a few days in advance of the workweek. And many have unstable schedules in which the amount of hours they work varies from week to week or month to month. Lack of meaningful input into work schedules and unpredictable and unstable work schedules can have a number of serious consequences for workers – including unstable child care, difficulty accessing job training and work supports, transportation problems, inability to hold down a second job, lost wages, and job loss.

Workplace flexibility and specifically Flexible Work Arrangements – including both employee input into scheduling and more predictable and stable work schedules – are an important part of the solution to these problems for low-wage workers.

Workplace Flexibility 2010 Resources: