Naming the Normalized: Unstable Work Schedules

by Maya Arcilla

June 29, 2015

As the daughter of a retail worker, the granddaughter of a domestic worker, and a former retail worker myself, the issue of unstable working schedules is one that is close to my heart. Before hearing this term at Women Employed, unstable and unpredictable working schedules were something I assumed were simply a “normal” part of the job. Unstable and unpredictable scheduling is a term to describe the issues many lower-wage workers face when their hours shift constantly week to week, they lose hours and pay against their will, or they are involuntarily scheduled part time. The more I read about this problem, the more I realized that unstable and unpredictable scheduling infringed upon women’s rights in the workplace.

My own family’s lived experiences demonstrated this fact. Growing up, I remember my mother took me to work when she closed at the retail store she worked at because she could never plan for a babysitter. Without adequate notice of her hours, she decided the only way to take care of the family was to bring me along with her. As a domestic worker, my grandmother had to leave our family for weeks to stay in her workplace. She was expected to work day in and out, while some weeks she did not work at all. Both my grandmother and my mother’s experience illustrate the challenges that lower-wage workers face in budgeting, personal health, and supporting a family.

However, the issue of unstable and unpredictable scheduling is not a hopeless one. There is power in naming this phenomenon, because that also means we can fight to change it. This week at Women Employed, the Summer Leaders are taking steps towards interviewing retail workers and food service workers on their experiences with unstable schedules. With their guidance, we can propose policy changes to make the workplace a safer and more stable place for all.