Understanding the Scheduling Challenges Facing Low-Wage Workers

Meeting the demands of everyday life while holding down a job has been a kitchen table issue for decades. For low-wage workers the daily struggle is often even harder. These workers are the least likely to have flexibility at work, and the least likely to be able to pay someone to take care of their obligations outside of work. But what types of flexible work arrangements do low-wage workers need?

Flexible work arrangements were developed as a solution to meet the needs of higher-wage workers.  So it comes as no surprise that they often do not map on well to the scheduling challenges facing low-wage hourly workers.  During this roundtable discussion, the authors of a recent report, “Flexible Workplace Solutions for Low-Wage Hourly Workers: A Framework for a National Conversation,” will present new findings that help illuminate the scheduling challenges facing low-wage hourly workers and employer and policy solutions to these challenges. National experts on low-wage work and flexible work arrangements will react to these findings from the perspective of both workers and businesses, as well as reflect on next steps for employer practice and policy.

Participants

Presenters
Elizabeth Watson
Former Legislative Counsel, Workplace Flexibility 2010
Executive Director, Georgetown Center on Poverty, Inequality and Public Policy

Jennifer E. Swanberg, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, University of Kentucky Executive Director
Institute for Workplace Innovation

Respondents
Lisa Horn
Senior Government Relations Advisor
Society for Human Resource Management

Vicki Shabo
Director, Work & Family Programs
National Partnership for Women and Families

John Wilcox
Deputy Director
Corporate Voices for Working Families

Moderator
David Gray
Director, Workforce and Family Program
New America Foundation