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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

5/5 - Overall, the results from this empirical study show that new FWW laws have the ability to improve measures of work stability without negative effects on wages and benefits, though the magnitude partially depends on local government capacity. @harvardkennedy.bsky.social @harvardmwc.bsky.social

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

4/5 - Notably, the strength of the FWW laws strongly differed depending on the jurisdiction. The percentage point increase in two-week notices was 5x as much in New York as Philadelphia (25p.p. vs 5p.p.). This potentially reflects differences in local enforcement capacity.

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

3/5 - In addition, the authors find no evidence that employee turnover, wages, or benefits changed as employers adjusted to these new rules. However, the laws do not seem to alter the average number of hours worked, contrary to their underlying goal of worker stability.

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

2/5- Using Shift Project data, @dschneider.bsky.social @kristenharknett.bsky.social & David Arbelaez, find that across major cities, FWW produced favorable changes in advanced and last-minute shift changes, decreasing by 29% and 10%. They also find an associated 19% decline in “clopening” shifts.

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

1/5- As calls grow to fix chaos in service‑sector jobs (erratic schedules, back‑to‑back shifts, too few hours), Fair Workweek (FWW) laws are spreading across the U.S. But do they actually deliver the promised benefits for workers? Our new study tests this: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

science.org

Fair Workweek laws in the US: An appraisal of intended and unintended consequences

Fair Workweek laws help to reduce work schedule instability and unpredictability without negative unintended consequences.

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

At the Shift Project we are recruiting one full-time postdoctoral fellow. Folks interested in labor standards violation, industrial relations, labor economics, sociology of work, + please apply to join our crew! Fall 2026 start. Apps due February 13, 2026. shift.hks.harvard.edu/post-doctora...

shift.hks.harvard.edu

Post-Doctoral Fellowships (Open) - The Shift Project

Work with Us Post-Doctoral Fellowships Applications are currently open until February 13, 2026. Overview of Job Description

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

7/8 Are Fair Workweek policies a promising way to improve the quality of workers’ schedules? Our data say yes. We find that Los Angeles’ FWWO for retail workers has reduced exposure to “just-in-time” scheduling practices, like short notice of work schedules and on-call shifts.

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

6/8 Precarious scheduling has been shown to be harmful for workers’ mental and physical health. These negative effects also spill over to their children, as unpredictable schedules strain household resources and make it difficult to arrange high-quality childcare.

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

5/8 The result of these insufficient and unpredictable working hours? Roughly half of fast food workers in Los Angeles County say that their work schedules cause conflict with family life, and 78% have a hard time affording their bills & expenses.

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

4/8 Most workers in both sectors want more stable schedules, but how do fast food workers’ schedules compare to their retail counterparts? On average, they grapple with shorter notice of their schedules and greater week-to-week volatility in work hours.

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

3/8 Many fast food workers are subject to irregular and unpredictable schedules that they have little control over. Only 26% have regular daytime schedules, and almost half say that they have no input as to when they work each week.

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

2/8 Less than one third of fast food workers in Los Angeles County are usually working 40 or more hours per week, and 35% are involuntarily part-time: working fewer than 35 hours but wanting more.

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

1/8 Los Angeles has recently taken steps to guarantee retail workers more stable work schedules, but fast food workers remain unprotected. A new Shift Project brief explores how these workers are faring—and what could be done to improve their schedules. shift.hks.harvard.edu/fast-food-jo...

shift.hks.harvard.edu

Unpredictable and Unstable: Fast Food Jobs in Los Angeles - The Shift Project

Read the Full Article Over the past ten years, fast food workers have been at the center of powerful social […]

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

At the Shift Project we are hiring 1 to 3 pre-doctoral fellows (= full time paid RA). Folks interested in labor policy, work scheduling, PSL, firms, survey methods, + please apply to join our crew! Fall 2026 start. Apps due January 15th, 2026. shift.hks.harvard.edu/pre-doctoral...

shift.hks.harvard.edu

Pre-Doctoral Fellowships (Open) - The Shift Project

Work with Us Pre-Doctoral Fellowships Applications are currently open until January 15th, 2026. Overview of Job Description

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 07/11/2025

5/5 These findings have important implications that view ESI as a substitute for Medicaid for hourly service-sector workers.

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 07/11/2025

4/5 - Falling into an exemption category is associated with a lower likelihood of being offered ESI. Workers are nearly 30, 25, and 8 percentage points less likely to be offered ESI if at a franchised firm, work part time, and have been at a firm for less than one year, respectively.

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 07/11/2025

3/5 - Using the Shift Project’s measures of firm franchise status (used as a proxy for firm size), part-time status, and tenure, we find that nearly 60% of hourly service-sector workers fall into at least one of the exemption categories. @dschneider.bsky.social @gabyaboulafia.bsky.social

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 07/11/2025

2/5 - The Affordable Care Act requires that employers offer affordable, minimum-value ESI to workers or potentially face penalties. However, firms with <50 employees, part-time workers, and those who’ve worked at their firm for under one year may be exempt from the employer provision.

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 07/11/2025

1/5 - Current policy debate often assumes workers who lose Medicaid coverage can get employer-sponsored insurance (ESI). A new Shift Project article in JAMA Health Forum shows why this may not be the case for hourly service-sector workers. shift.hks.harvard.edu/employer-spo...

shift.hks.harvard.edu

Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance for Workers in the Hourly Service Sector - The Shift Project

Read the Full Article In defending the Medicaid cuts in HR 1, policymakers have argued that Medicaid coverage losses would […]

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 07/10/2025

7/7 Amazon’s fissured employment model may have helped it overtake UPS and FedEx in market share, but it has very troubling implications for workers – and, given its size and influence, how Amazon treats its workers has effects that reach well beyond its own workforce.

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 07/10/2025

6/7 But one shared experience among Amazon’s warehouse workers and delivery drivers? Being exposed to a high degree of surveillance and speed tracking on the job. Simply put, as one Amazon worker told us: “They know everything.”

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 07/10/2025

5/7 Amazon drivers’ challenges don’t stop at lower wages – they also have much less access to benefits like paid sick leave. The result: one in four report going hungry in the past month, & one in three report not being able to fully pay their utilities bills in the past month.

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 07/10/2025

4/7 On average, Amazon warehouse workers benefit from having more stable schedules than UPS and FedEx warehouse workers, but Amazon delivery drivers don’t have the same edge over UPS and FedEx drivers – illustrating the divide between Amazon’s delivery and fulfillment operations.

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 07/10/2025

3/7 A critical contrast: the entire UPS workforce is directly employed & unionized, while Amazon’s workforce is highly fissured. None of its delivery drivers are actually Amazon employees; they are either independent gig workers (Amazon Flex) or employees of subcontracted DSPs.

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 07/10/2025

2/7 We find that Amazon delivery drivers earn much lower wages on average than UPS or FedEx drivers, partially because Amazon workers rarely stick around for multiple years – and their pay hardly increases if they do. @dschneider.bsky.social @profsheenalives.bsky.social @juliesulabor.bsky.social

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 07/10/2025

1/7 Over the past decade, Amazon’s market power has soared. But how do Amazon workers fare relative to their counterparts at UPS & FedEx? A new Shift Project brief offers an inside look into work at one of the world’s biggest companies. shift.hks.harvard.edu/amazon-drive...

shift.hks.harvard.edu

Amazon Drives Low Wages: The Unraveling of Workplace Protections for Delivery Drivers - The Shift Project

Read the Full Article Amazon has revolutionized shopping and challenged traditional brick-and-mortar retail. But at the heart of this logistics […]

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 28/08/2025

8/8 – So, what does this mean? (1) FSI workers often leave jobs for self-preservation, not due to “job hopping” or lack of work ethic. (2) Workplace relationships, especially with supervisors, have a major impact on their experience. More insights in the full report—check it out!

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 28/08/2025

7/8 – Notably, FSI young workers also tend to be employed in some of the least supportive sectors, such as fast food.

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 28/08/2025

6/8 – Importantly, these workplace experiences don’t just impact these workers at work – they also impact them off the clock, with large associated changes in psychological distress.

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 28/08/2025

5/8 – FSI workers are also more likely to feel physical unsafe at work, experience discrimination, and experience customer abuse. All of these negative experiences are associated with significant drops in job satisfaction and intent to stay in one’s current job.

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 28/08/2025

4/8 FSI workers also report less support from supervisors and coworkers, and more punitive discipline. Notably, they are 5.7 percentage points more likely to report being ridiculed, which has a very large effect on job outcomes. @harvardkennedy.bsky.social @ucsfhealth.bsky.social

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 28/08/2025

3/8 – FSI workers face more disrespect and bullying from supervisors/coworkers, deeply affecting job outcomes. Those who feel respected by their supervisor report a 51-point increase in job satisfaction. @dschneider.bsky.social @kristenharknett.bsky.social

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 28/08/2025

2/8 - Formerly systems involved (FSI) young workers report overall more negative onboarding experiences as compared to their non-involved peers. Positive onboarding experiences significantly impact job outcomes including job satisfaction and intent to stay in one’s current job.

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 28/08/2025

1/8 - New research from Shift finds that young workers formerly involved in the juvenile carceral and child welfare systems face unsupportive workplaces, negatively impacting their job satisfaction, intent to stay at their job, and their psychological wellbeing shift.hks.harvard.edu/workplace-cl...

shift.hks.harvard.edu

(Un)Supportive Workplaces: Experiences of Workplace Climate for Formerly Systems-Involved Young Workers - The Shift Project

Read the Full Report By early adulthood, millions of young people have had early life experiences interacting with the juvenile […]

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

7/7 - 🏛️ Policy implications: Results support PSL mandates as effective tool for establishing minimum job quality standards. Federal PSL mandate could address current patchwork of state coverage while delivering public health benefits! #PaidSickLeave #PublicHealth

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

6/7 - 📅 Study uniquely examines schedule instability as potential margin of adjustment—finding no increase in last-minute cancellations, on-call shifts, or reduced advance notice. Suggests firms don't shift costs to scheduling practices!

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

5/7 - 💼 Important finding: No evidence firms offset PSL costs through other channels of adjustment. No cuts to wages, health insurance, retirement benefits, or schedule stability. This addresses key concern about unintended consequences of mandates.

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

4/7 - 📈 Key findings: PSL mandates increased worker access to paid sick leave from 46% to 62% in treatment states, while control states saw minimal change (37% to 39%). Workers also 3pp less likely to work while sick when PSL laws in effect. #PublicHealth

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

3/7 - 🏪 Research focuses on service sector workers who typically lack PSL access but face high disease exposure through customer contact. The study uses 68,930 workers at 204 service companies to investigate implementation of 11 PSL laws from 2017-2023. #PaidSickLeave

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

2/7 - Research from Tyler Woods, @dschneider.bsky.social and @kristenharknett.bsky.social examines effects of state paid sick leave mandates on service sector workers using stacked diff-in-diff methods. @harvardkennedy.bsky.social @ucsfhealth.bsky.social

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

1/7 - 📊 New research on paid sick leave laws finds positive effects for workers and public health. Study of 68K+ service workers shows state mandates increase PSL access by 14pp and reduce working while sick by 3pp—with no negative spillovers. shift.hks.harvard.edu/estimating-t...

shift.hks.harvard.edu

Estimating the Impact of State Paid Sick Leave Laws on Worker Outcomes in the U.S. Service Sector, 2017–2023 - The Shift Project

Read the Full Article In the absence of a federal paid sick leave (PSL) standard, numerous U.S. states have passed […]

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

5/5 Currently, workplace technologies are minimally regulated in the U.S. These findings suggest that job satisfaction and retention in the service sector, specifically among older workers, could be improved by policies that reduce invasive monitoring in the workplace.

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

4/5 But some workplace technology actually seems to improve older workers’ experience on the job! Rewards for speed of work & the use of leaderboards at work were both associated with HIGHER job satisfaction.

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

3/5 How does exposure to technology affect how much older workers like their jobs? Sales tech was not shown to impact job satisfaction or retention, but exposure to surveillance tech that punishes workers for slowness was associated with a higher likelihood of intending to look for a new job.

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

2/5 Shift data show that workers above the age of 50 are exposed to lots of technology and monitoring at work: 87% report dealing with at least one form of sales technology (like online ordering or self-checkout), and 60% say that they would be sanctioned for working too slowly.

media.tenor.com

homer simpson says to start press any key where 's the any key ?

ALT: homer simpson says to start press any key where 's the any key ?

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

1/5 - The US workforce is aging, and older service sector workers already face tough conditions. Does new workplace tech help or hurt them? Our new paper explores the impact! @dschneider.bsky.social‬ ‪@kristenharknett.bsky.social‬ @leahrabrams.bsky.social‬ shift.hks.harvard.edu/new-technolo...

shift.hks.harvard.edu

New Technology, Older Workers: How Workplace Technology is Associated with Indicators of Job Retention - The Shift Project

Read the Full Article Middle-aged and older adults who are employed in precarious, high-strain jobs may face challenges to continued […]

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 11/06/2025

8/8 - 🎯 POLICY ACTION: OSHA’s new proposed federal heat standard (August 2024) covers outdoor & indoor workers! Proposed rule would require employers to protect workers when temps hit 80°F+ indoors, protecting 36M workers nationwide! ✅ Public hearing: June 16-mark your calendar!

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 11/06/2025

7/8 - 📋 Employers are not doing their part: only 24% have heat policies, and 41% of workers don't know if protections exist. Often, policies shift responsibility for cooling and resting onto workers, making them choose between their health and their work.

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 11/06/2025

6/8 - INDOOR workers feel trapped by heat: many stick their heads in FREEZERS or retreat to cars with AC during breaks. 88% can't control their workplace AC, and some need central CORPORATE APPROVAL just to adjust the thermostat. #WorkerSafety

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The Shift Project @shift-project.bsky.social · 11/06/2025

5/8 - ⚠️ Indoor heat exposure has serious health consequences: 61% of workers had heat-related headaches, 58% fatigue, 43% nausea, and 17% dangerous heart rate spikes. With more heat waves, workers across all types of workplaces are at risk. 🌡️

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