The end of set schedules for Wal-Mart employees may be the latest technological advantage for the retail giant. Flexible employee scheduling using software and past sales data will allow Wal-Mart to better staff its stores. Ezra Klein complains:
But pi...

My husband managed a grocery store while he was in college and grad school. He also never knew his schedule more than a week ahead-although as a manager his shift time was mostly set outsdie of vacations of other managers.

The new systems also alert managers when a worker is approaching full-time status or overtime, which would require higher wages and benefits, so they can scale back that person’s schedule.

Blame regulators for creating perverse managerial incentives.

If you have ever experienced looking for a job–especially in the low-skill levels of the labor market–it is EXTREMELY time consuming.

That must account for the 4.5% US unemployment rate.

Too bad more people can't convince everyone that the world owes them not just a living, but in the lifestyle they desire.

Even at Wal-Mart, people call in sick without losing their jobs. Or take vacation days.

Give me a break! At Wal-Mart you are disciplined if you take 3 unauthorized sick days--fired if you take 7. You don't get paid for those days, of course. Vacation days are non-existent for their majority part-time labor force.

If you have ever experienced looking for a job--especially in the low-skill levels of the labor market--it is EXTREMELY time consuming. If Wal Mart is asking their employees to be essentially "on call" 24/7, being a responsible job seeker is next to impossible. Taking a few sick days is not going to necessarily help you.

Legion: I'm not suggesting that it's not difficult. There are, however, other entry level or low skill jobs out there outside the retail sector. It's a hell of a lot easier to find another $8/hour job than another $75,000/year job.

My point is that this is simply the nature of retail work. The customer is a higher priority than the worker, especially workers who are essentially commodities. That's not a happy situation for the workers, to be sure, but a fact of life.

As I note in the post, though, managers should be doing a better job of forecasting needs.

Other potential drawbacks mentioned by Klein or his commenters include pushing out older workers and making holding a second job more difficult. Ditto, presumably, going back to school to improve one’s employability so as to move beyond having to work for an hourly wage.

With this:

Still, if one needs to work only regular hours and simply can not work nights and weekends, they should seek employment in something other than the retail sector.

'Cause I don't see how they're anything other than mutually exclusive.

It is pretty clear from the article that they are instituting the "on call" system. The idea is basically to manage labor in the same way as they have been managing inventory for years: through a just-in-time approach.

The other thing that the software does is recognize the cumulative number of hours worked by employees. Once an employee is getting close to meeting overtime/full time requirements in a week they are put at the bottom of the list in favor of someone who hasnt worked as many hours, saving the company money.

The major problem is that workers have absolutely no prediction over their schedule in the long term. Making transportation, child care, etc... arrangements becomes impossible. Even just planning to spend time with your family and loved ones is difficult because it obviates a person's ability to plan.

This will undoubtedly hurt the quality of life for many workers--but I guess since the rest of us can get shampoo for 89 cents, its worth it.

Still, if one needs to work only regular hours and simply can not work nights and weekends, they should seek employment in something other than the retail sector.

Yes! Brilliant. The Wal Mart worker can schedule a job interview for next Thursday morning. Wednesday night, however, their manager says you have to come in tomorrow. The worker can do one of two things: go to work or get fired without a replacement job.

MOst WalMart workers don't have the money to have a six-month nest egg with which they can live off of as they try to find another job.

Please read Ehrenreich's "Nickeled and Dimed"--or do a similar experiment yourself.