The Impact on Oregonians of the Rise of Irregular Scheduling

Written by Raahi Reddy; LERC, Mary C. King; PSU, and Ellen K. Scott; University of Oregon

Based on data collected through the 2016 Oregon Fair Work Week Survey, this paper reports on the prevalence and impact of the rise of irregular scheduling practices in Oregon. Nearly 750 Oregonians responded to a structured survey on the breadth and prevalence of irregular scheduling practices on their job. Subsequently, 27 participated in longer followup interviews.

A high proportion of the nearly 750 people interviewed for this survey experienced irregular scheduling practices. For example, 1 in 6 had less than 24 hour notice of their shifts. Survey respondents working in hospitality, foods services, retail and health care industries most often reported irregular scheduling. Not only must people work wildly varying shifts and be available on-call, their total hours and hence their weekly paychecks can also vary substantially. Nearly half the respondents report financial difficulties and resorting to unsustainable financial strategies. Many give up furthering their education and cannot maintain second jobs.