Mar
26
Blog Post 9
March 26, 2015 | Leave a Comment
I’ve experienced the scheduling dilemma before. However, it was on a much smaller scale as I was working for a small family business. And because I didn’t have too many expenses and had free time, the unpredictable scheduling didn’t burden me. I actually liked the randomness of when there would be days I didn’t have to go to work. From the readings, it’s clear that for those who need these workdays to support themselves, the scheduling dilemma is a dire situation.
I would have never thought that a real time implementation of this scheduling technology would be put to use. It completely overturns traditional means of stable work schedules of a 9-5 job. It was surprising to hear that this was used so widely in the restaurant and retail sectors. With these two sectors employing much of low wage earners, the effect is detrimental. In a sense, one person’s life is dictated by a piece of software. It would determine their earnings, it would have control over their time, and it would imbed and disrupt their personal life.
The Cohen Milstein article concerning McDonald’s actions shows exactly the goal in every corporation’s mind: profit. And corporations would shamelessly do so by any means necessary. But it’s inexplicable how poorly a company pulling in $5.6 billion in profits annually would treat its employees. The systematic approach in forcing workers to wait and work off the clock, cutting hours from their time cards, and failing to pay overtime is despicable. The managers are using this strategy by treating crew members like pawns to rake in more individual profit. The employees seem to be a completely separate entity from the corporation all together. In my opinion, this use of the technology is unethical and would actually cause a decrease in productivity as employee satisfaction drops.
I especially like the anecdotal Times article describing a woman’s situation in this scheduling dilemma. From that story, I think that working unstable hours is a pressing issue. I think stability is very important; otherwise work would come before family. It becomes difficult for the adult to balance her chores, desires, and relationships, and it becomes difficult for the child to get proper support and stability. Then, this problem would restart anew with the next generation. It’s especially incredulous when the employees complain about unstable schedules and the corporations insist otherwise. The two groups are simply not on the same page and there is little attempt in resolving it.
I find the use of this technology to be very interesting. I wonder how many companies use this type of software and how effective it is. And I wonder the methodologies companies are implementing with this software. I think the idea of using the software for managers and employers to build schedules with “accommodating core hours” is smart but unrealistic. It seems the current model of real time dismissing or calling employees in is working. It would seem the flexibility and opportunity for money for the employer would make it hard to go back to traditional means. I think with enough pressure from legislators and activists, as mentioned by the Times article, creating laws to alleviate this issue should be more realistic.
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Jia Jun (Jay) Wu
