A majority of surveyed U.S. employees — 62% — lack high-quality work schedules, which can lead to decreased productivity and higher turnover, according to a June 10 report from Gallup.
The organization defined “high-quality” as having three attributes:
- Predictability: The employee knows their schedule at least two weeks in advance, unless they have substantial control over when and how much they work.
- Stability: The employee’s total weekly hours don’t fluctuate by more than 25% over the course of a month, unless the variation is by the employee’s choice.
- Control: The employee has input into two or more aspects of their schedule — how many hours they work, what days they work or when they can take a few hours off for personal reasons.
“When workers lack high-quality schedules, it’s not just their wellbeing that suffers — employers and the broader economy are affected, too,” according to the report. “Businesses bear the costs of turnover and absenteeism, while unpredictable schedules can leave workers with less income and less time to spend. This, in turn, can weaken consumer spending and slow economic growth.”
In a survey of more than 18,000 U.S. workers, Gallup analyzed work schedule quality based on schedule predictability, schedule stability and employee control of their schedule. Overall, 27% of employees face unpredictability, 28% report instability and 41% have little or no control over their work schedule.
In particular, part-time workers and those with less than an associate degree are more likely to have jobs with low-quality schedules, Gallup said.
Such schedules can harm workers’ finances, health and family life, the report found. While 57% of those with low-quality schedules said their work often or sometimes conflicts with their personal life, only 39% of those with high-quality schedules said the same. In addition, 38% of those with low-quality schedules said they’re “just getting by” financially, as compared with 23% of those with high-quality schedules.
Previous research indicates that high-quality schedules can reduce employee turnover across service jobs and white-collar jobs, as well as reduce labor costs and increase sales in retail, Gallup reported.
As RTO rates stabilize, flexible work models remain key for scheduling, according to a report by McKinsey & Co. Hybrid options, in particular, allow employers to compete for talent by “aligning working conditions with employee preferences,” McKinsey experts said.
Flexible arrangements may be particularly attractive for “sandwich generation” moms who serve as caregivers for both their children and adult dependents, according to a Motherly report. About half of such workers responding to a survey said they’ve left a job due to their caregiving responsibilities and lack of schedule flexibility or employer benefits.
Preferences may vary, though, as an increasing number of Generation Z workers say they’d forgo remote work to secure a job, according to a Flexa report. Job seekers’ demands for location flexibility and four-day workweeks appear to be changing as economic pressures and layoff anxiety increase.
By keeping these needs and preferences in mind, employers can better address the social determinants of work, or the factors that affect how employees show up in a healthy way at work. More companies are seeing workers holistically and looking for ways to meet them where they are, HR experts previously told HR Dive.