The Growing Degradation of Work and Life, and What We Might Do to End it

[marmar]

The Growing Degradation of Work and Life, and What We Might Do to End it

Saturday, 21 March 2015 00:00
By Michael D. Yates, Truthout | News Analysis


In a recent New York Times' article, former labor editor Steven Greenhouse writes about how employers in the service sector often demand that their employees work shifts that allow them little time for rest. For example, a worker might have to close a night shift on Wednesday and open the morning shift on Thursday:

"At Hudson County Community College in Jersey City, Ramsey Montanez struggles to stay alert on the mornings that he returns to his security guard station at 7 am, after wrapping up a 16-hour double shift at 11 pm the night before."

Given that it takes precious minutes to get home, at least an hour or two to wind down and take care of chores, and an hour or more to prepare and then get back to work the next morning, Montanez probably has to get by on no more than five hours of sleep. If he has children or is responsible for the care of others, then the time crunch is still worse.

The practice of having employees close late and open early has become common enough that there is now a word for it - "clopening." Management justifies the practice by claiming that turnover in restaurant and other service jobs is so high that only the relatively few longer-term employees are sufficiently trustworthy and "have the authority and experience to close at night and open in the morning." Labor advocates say that the reason for clopening is that scheduling is often no longer done by actual managers but by "sophisticated software" purchased by companies. ..................(more)

http://truth-out.org/news/item/29643-the-growing-degradation-of-work-and-life-and-what-we-might-do-to-end-it

[yallerdawg]

1. This is a very good article!

Very clear and precise solutions on what we can to do about these problems.

Clearly defines the problem, too:

...Capitalists now brook no compromises and make no concessions to any who would challenge their right to accumulate riches. No sense of obligation by the wealthy to society as a whole or to the mass of people without much income and wealth, much less a social contract between the rich and the rest of us, now exists or can even be imagined. Now, everyone is disposable; all of us are to be chewed up and spit out, exploited until we are no longer useful as laborers to be exploited and consumers to be shorn of our spending money. And some - black Americans, for example - have become especially disposable, often denied employment altogether, disproportionately harassed and shot by police, and pushed along a fast track to prison. This means that life has rapidly become more precarious, filled with fear and anxiety, as we wonder when we will be dumped in the trash can, when those who wield unchallenged authority will dispose of us.

[Sherman A1]

2. Thanks for posting.

As a long time worker in the a Retail
Sector. I am well acquainted with these practices and worked many a shift to 10pm to return at 5am the next morning.

[G_j]

3. right on the mark

K&R

[Liberal_in_LA]

4. k&r. "clopening". wow

[smirkymonkey]

5. K&R!

[magical thyme]

6. so the problem is high turnover?

Here's an idea: better pay and don't destroy your employees health and lives by making them work schedules that preclude adequate sleep.