scholarly journals Hard Times: Routine Schedule Unpredictability and Material Hardship among Service Sector Workers

Social Forces ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Schneider ◽  
Kristen Harknett
Keyword(s):  
Service Sector ◽  
Food Service ◽  
The United States ◽  
Economic Security ◽  
Work Schedules ◽  
Material Hardship ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Hard Times ◽  
Advance Notice ◽  
Food Service Workers

Abstract American policymakers have long focused on work as a key means to improve economic wellbeing. Yet, work has become increasingly precarious and polarized. This precarity is manifest in low wages but also in unstable and unpredictable work schedules that often vary significantly week to week with little advance notice. We draw on new survey data from The Shift Project on 37,263 hourly retail and food service workers in the United States. We assess the association between routine unpredictability in work schedules and household material hardship. Using both cross-sectional models and panel models, we find that workers who receive shorter advanced notice, those who work on-call, those who experience last minute shift cancellation and timing changes, and those with more volatile work hours are more likely to experience hunger, residential, medical, and utility hardships as well as more overall hardship. Just-in-time work schedules afford employers a great deal of flexibility but at a heavy cost to workers’ economic security.

Who Cares if Parents have Unpredictable Work Schedules?: Just-in-Time Work Schedules and Child Care Arrangements

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen Harknett ◽  
Daniel Schneider ◽  
Sigrid Luhr
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Service Sector ◽  
Food Service ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Just In Time ◽  
Work Schedules ◽  
Adult Supervision ◽  
Time Work ◽  
Time Scheduling ◽  
Established Relationship

Abstract Working parents must arrange some type of care for their young children when they are away at work. For parents with unstable and unpredictable work schedules, the logistics of arranging care can be complex. In this paper, we use survey data from the Shift Project, collected in 2017 and 2018 from a sample of 3,653 parents who balance work in the retail and food service sector with parenting young children from infants to nine years of age. Our results demonstrate that unstable and unpredictable work schedules have consequences for children’s care arrangements. We find that parents’ exposure to on-call work and last-minute shift changes are associated with more numerous care arrangements, with a reliance on informal care arrangements, with the use of siblings to provide care, and with young children being left alone without adult supervision. Given the well-established relationship between quality of care in the early years and child development, just-in-time scheduling practices are likely to have consequences for children’s development and safety and to contribute to the intergenerational transmission of disadvantage.

scholarly journals Outbreak of P.3 (Theta) SARS-CoV-2 emerging variant of concern among food service workers in Louisiana

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Rose ◽  
David J Nolan ◽  
Tessa M LaFleur ◽  
Susanna L Lamers
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Food Service ◽  
Genomic Analysis ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Service Workers ◽  
Food Service Workers

In May, 2021, during routine oil and gas industrial quarantine/premobilization procedures, four individuals who recently arrived to Louisiana from the Philippines tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Subsequent genomic analysis showed that all were infected with a Variant of Interest (P.3-Theta). This increases the number of known P.3 infections in the United States to eleven and highlights the importance of genomic surveillance within industries that are prone to rapidly spread the infection.

What Explains Racial/Ethnic Inequality in Job Quality in the Service Sector?

2020 ◽  
Vol 85 (4) ◽  
pp. 537-572 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Storer ◽  
Daniel Schneider ◽  
Kristen Harknett
Keyword(s):  
Service Sector ◽  
Food Service ◽  
The United States ◽  
Job Quality ◽  
Ethnic Inequality ◽  
Temporal Dimension ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Line Managers ◽  
Temporal Dimensions ◽  
Racial Ethnic

Precarious work in the United States is defined by economic and temporal dimensions. A large literature documents the extent of low wages and limited fringe benefits, but research has only recently examined the prevalence and consequences of unstable and unpredictable work schedules. Yet practices such as on-call shifts, last minute cancellations, and insufficient work hours are common in the retail and food-service sectors. Little research has examined racial/ethnic inequality in this temporal dimension of job quality, yet precarious scheduling practices may be a significant, if mostly hidden, site for racial/ethnic inequality, because scheduling practices differ significantly between firms and because front-line managers have substantial discretion in scheduling. We draw on innovative matched employer-employee data from The Shift Project to estimate racial/ethnic gaps in these temporal dimensions of job quality and to examine the contribution of firm-level sorting and intra-organizational dynamics to these gaps. We find significant racial/ethnic gaps in exposure to precarious scheduling that disadvantage non-white workers. We provide novel evidence that both firm segregation and racial discordance between workers and managers play significant roles in explaining racial/ethnic gaps in job quality. Notably, we find that racial/ethnic gaps are larger for women than for men.

Planning for Food Protection During the Bicentennial Celebration in the Nation's Capital

1976 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 125-127
Author(s):  
BAILUS WALKER ◽  
ROBERT N. BECK
Keyword(s):  
Food Service ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
The United States ◽  
Food Services ◽  
Service Workers ◽  
Food Protection ◽  
Food Borne ◽  
Health Agencies ◽  
Feeding Activities ◽  
Food Service Workers

The potential for foodborne disease outbreaks is increased during mass feeding activities and periods in which food services are overtaxed; this is a major concern of health agencies throughout the United States as they prepare for the Bicentennial celebration. As the District of Columbia government has had some experience in planning food protection services for intense activities generated by large influxes of people, it has developed a comprehensive food protection program in preparation for the Bicentennial activities. Included in the District government's plans is the implementation of a “self-inspection” program to be conducted by trained and certified food service workers in selected food service establishments throughout the city. While the District government cannot guarantee that no food borne diseases will occur during the Bicentennial celebration, the food protection program will maximize its efforts to ensure that consumers are protected against food-borne health hazards.

scholarly journals Improving health and economic security by reducing work schedule uncertainty

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (42) ◽  
pp. e2107828118
Author(s):  
Kristen Harknett ◽  
Daniel Schneider ◽  
Véronique Irwin
Keyword(s):  
Sleep Quality ◽  
Service Sector ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Substantial Effect ◽  
Economic Security ◽  
Causal Effects ◽  
Work Schedules ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Work Time ◽  
Work Scheduling

Work schedules in the service sector are routinely unstable and unpredictable, and this unpredictability may have harmful effects on health and economic insecurity. However, because schedule unpredictability often coincides with low wages and other dimensions of poor job quality, the causal effects of unpredictable work schedules are uncertain. Seattle’s Secure Scheduling ordinance, enacted in 2017, mandated greater schedule predictability, providing an opportunity to examine the causal relationship between work scheduling and worker health and economic security. We draw on pre- and postintervention survey data from workers in Seattle and comparison cities to estimate the impacts of this law using a difference-in-differences approach. We find that the law had positive impacts on workers’ schedule predictability and stability and led to increases in workers’ subjective well-being, sleep quality, and economic security. Using the Seattle law as an instrumental variable, we also estimate causal effects of schedule predictability on well-being outcomes. We show that uncertainty about work time has a substantial effect on workers’ well-being, particularly their sleep quality and economic security.

scholarly journals Risk and Protective Factors Associated with Custodial Grandparents’ Psychological Distress in COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 956-956
Author(s):  
Yanfeng Xu ◽  
Merav Jedwab ◽  
Qi Wu ◽  
Sue Levkoff ◽  
Ling Xu
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Parenting Stress ◽  
Financial Services ◽  
The United States ◽  
Material Hardship ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Custodial Grandparents ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Logistic Regression Models

Abstract The fear and anxiety of COVID-19 and its related policy measures have increased individuals’ psychological distress. The objective of this study was to examine relationships between material hardship, parenting stress, social support, and resilience and custodial grandparents’ psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic and further investigate the moderating role of kinship license status. A cross-sectional survey was administered to collect data from custodial grandparents (N = 362) in the United States. T-tests, chi-square tests, and logistic regression models were conducted using STATA 15.0. Results indicated that material hardship (OR = 1.77, p < 0.001) was associated with higher odds of psychological distress, whereas custodial grandparents’ resilience (OR = 0.08, p < 0.001) and social support (OR = 0.39, p < 0.001) were associated with lower odds of experiencing psychological distress. Increased parenting stress in COVID-19 was not significantly associated with psychological distress. Kinship license status moderated the relationships between social support (OR = 0.23, p < 0.05), resilience (OR = 5.06, p < 0.05) and psychological distress. To address custodial grandparents’ psychological distress, more allocated emergency funds and tailored financial services should be provided to meet material needs, and interventions with a focus on resilience and social support are particularly needed. Although licensed custodial grandparents were more likely to experience psychological distress due to their pre-existing vulnerability than unlicensed counterparts, parallel services should be provided to all kinship caregivers.

scholarly journals Food Waste in Schools: A Pre-/Post-Test Study Design Examining the Impact of a Food Service Training Intervention to Reduce Food Waste

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 6389
Author(s):  
Sara A. Elnakib ◽  
Virginia Quick ◽  
Mariel Mendez ◽  
Shauna Downs ◽  
Olivia A. Wackowski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Waste ◽  
Food Service ◽  
The United States ◽  
School Food ◽  
Service Workers ◽  
Food Component ◽  
School Based ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Food Service Workers ◽  
The Impact

This study aimed to assess change in school-based food waste after training and implementing the Smarter Lunchrooms Movement (SLM) strategies with school food service workers. This non-controlled trial was implemented in a random sample of 15 elementary and middle schools in a Community Eligibility Program school district in the Northeast, the United States. Baseline and post-intervention food waste measurements were collected at two different time points in each school (n = 9258 total trays measured). Descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, and regression analyses were used to assess SLM strategies’ impact on changes in percent food waste. The mean number of strategies schools implemented consistently was 7.40 ± 6.97 SD, with a range of 0 to 28 consistent strategies. Independent t-tests revealed that at post-test, there was a significant (p < 0.001) percent reduction (7.0%) in total student food waste and for each food component: fruit (13.6%), vegetable (7.1%), and milk (4.3%). Overall, a training session on food waste and the SLM strategies with school-based food service workers reduced school food waste. However, the extent of the training and SLM strategies to reduce food waste varied on the basis of the consistency and type of strategies implemented.

scholarly journals Precarious Parental Employment, Economic Hardship, and Parenting and Child Happiness Amidst Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen-Jui Han ◽  
Jake Hart
Keyword(s):  
Labor Markets ◽  
Multivariate Regression ◽  
Multivariate Regression Analysis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Economic Security ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Parental Employment ◽  
Public Health Crisis ◽  
Parental Views

As labor markets in recent decades have become increasingly volatile and precarious, more workers are susceptible to working conditions threatening their economic security. We examined the association between precarious parental employment, income or job loss, and parenting and child happiness during COVID-19 pandemic. We collected an online cross-sectional dataset collected in May 2020 in the United States to examine parental views on childrearing and child happiness, controlling for a rich set of sociodemographic characteristics. Our multivariate regression analysis indicate that two aspects of job precarity related to feeling vulnerable at work and receiving low material rewards from work, and losing job or income due to COVID-19 were significantly associated with a less positive view on childrearing and lower degree of child happiness reported by parents. Our analysis underscores the vulnerability faced by our parents at workforce and how a public health crisis magnified the dire consequences of a precarious job on parenting and child happiness.

scholarly journals Exploring factors associated with pregnant women’s experiences of material hardship during COVID-19: a cross-sectional Qualtrics survey in the United States

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
The United States ◽  
Financial Strain ◽  
Material Hardship ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Women’S Experiences ◽  
Women's Experiences ◽  
Self Sufficiency

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the financial insecurity of women and their families globally. Some studies have explored the impact of financial strain among pregnant women, in particular, during the pandemic. However, less is known about the factors associated with pregnant women’s experiences of material hardship. Methods This cross-sectional study used a non-probability sample to examine the factors associated with pregnant women’s experiences of material hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic. In January 2021, 183 pregnant women living in the United States participated in an online Qualtrics panel survey. In addition to socio-demographic characteristics, individuals were asked about their finances and predictors of financial well-being, mental health symptoms, and intimate partner violence (IPV) experiences. Chi-square analysis and one-way ANOVA were used to examine whether women’s experiences with material hardship and associated factors differed by income level (i.e., less than $20,000; $20,000 to $60,000; more than $60,000). Ordinary least squares regression was used to calculate unadjusted and adjusted estimates. Results Study findings showed that the majority of women in the sample experienced at least one form of material hardship in the past year. Individuals with an annual household income less than $20,000 reported the highest average number of material hardships experienced (M = 3.7, SD = 2.8). Compared to women with household incomes less than $20,000, women with incomes of more than $60,000 reported significantly fewer material hardships, less financial strain, and higher levels of financial support, economic self-efficacy, and economic-self-sufficiency. Women with incomes of $60,000 or more also reported significantly lower levels of psychological abuse, and a smaller percentage met the cut-off for anxiety. Economic self-sufficiency, financial strain, posttraumatic stress disorder, and economic abuse were all significantly associated with material hardship. Conclusions A contribution of this study is that it highlights the significant, positive association between economic abuse, a unique form of IPV, and material hardship among pregnant women during the pandemic. These findings suggest the need for policy and practice interventions that help to ameliorate the financial insecurity experienced by some pregnant women, as well as respond to associated bidirectional vulnerabilities (e.g., mental health symptoms, experiences of IPV).

scholarly journals Material Hardship, Mental Health, and Parenting Stress among Grandparent Kinship Providers in COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 952-952
Author(s):  
Yanfeng Xu ◽  
Qi Wu ◽  
Sue Levkoff ◽  
Merav Jedwab
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Parenting Stress ◽  
Binary Logistic Regression ◽  
The United States ◽  
Material Hardship ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
School Closures ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mediation Analyses

Abstract The COVID 19 pandemic has exposed the vulnerability of many families, including grandparent kinship families, to deal with a health/economic crisis. The fear of COVID-19 plus stay-at-home orders have increased individuals’ psychological distress. Moreover, school closures and homeschooling further increased parenting stress among caregivers. This study examined the relationship between material hardship and parenting stress among grandparent kinship providers and assessed grandparents’ mental health as a potential mediator to this relationship during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Grandparent kinship providers (N=362) that took primary care of their grandchildren participated in a cross-sectional survey via Qualtrics Panels in June 2020 in the United States. Descriptive and bivariate analyses, binary logistic regression, and mediation analyses were conducted using STATA 15.0. Experiencing material hardship (OR = 1.67, p &lt; 0.001) was significantly associated with higher odds of parenting stress among grandparent kinship providers, and grandparents’ mental health (indirect effect = 0.11, 95% CI [0.01, 0.25]) partially mediated this association. Addressing material and mental health needs among grandparent kinship providers is critical to decreasing their parenting stress.

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