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Title: Hours, Scheduling and Flexibility for Women in the US Low-Wage Labour Force

Citation Type: Journal Article

Publication Year: 2014

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Abstract: Research on women's experiences with work schedules and flexibility tends to focus on professional women in high-paying careers, despite women's far greater prevalence in low-wage jobs. This paper seeks to contribute to our understanding of the work-hours problems faced by women precariously employed in low-wage jobs by addressing how work-on-demand scheduling and other features of part-time labour in the neoliberal economy limit women's ability to make ends meet. Using data from 17 in-depth interviews, we identify four themes unpredictable schedules, inadequate hours, time theft and punishment-and-control via hours-reduction and the problems they present. Results suggest that much-championed flexible work policies that seek to encourage women's career advancement may have little bearing on the work-hours dilemmas faced by low-wage women workers. We conclude that social change efforts need to encompass work policies geared to low-wage workers, such as guaranteed minimum hours and increases in the minimum wage.

Url: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/gwao.12069/full

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Authors: Jacobs, Anna W.; Padavic, Irene

Periodical (Full): Gender, Work, and Organization

Issue: 1

Volume: 22

Pages: 67-86

Data Collections: IPUMS CPS

Topics: Gender, Labor Force and Occupational Structure

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