Increase Workplace Flexibility for Low-Wage Workers
Low-wage workers are often more vulnerable to economic, health, and family issues that may affect productivity. Low-wage workers also have fewer financial resources or external sources of support to deal with those vulnerabilities. When they lack flexibility to handle personal or family issues that require some leave but are not covered by Family and Medical Leave Act, low-wage workers will likely lose their job. Frequent job changes, as a result of a lack of flexibility, can have negative effects on hiring prospects, wages, and advancement. Research shows that flexible schedules are more available to whites (28.7%) than blacks (19.7%) or Latino or Hispanics (18.4%), more available to managerial, professional, and related occupations (36.8%) compared to service occupations (21.2%) or production occupations (14.3%).

Corporate Voices for Working Families found in a recent report that effective flexibility programs increase productivity through commitment and retention and have a direct impact on financial performance. They also found that offering flexibility to low-wage workers has the same intended effects on low-wage workers as on their higher wage counterparts: they are more satisfied with their jobs, less likely to seek other jobs, experience less job interference, experience less job related stress when they have more flexible work options, believe they can use flexibility options without jeopardizing advancement; and they have more job autonomy.

Employers can implement flexibility for low-wage employees by offering alternative work schedules, scheduling systems that enable bidding for desired shifts and shift swapping, implement personnel policies that enable episodic flexibility and short leaves.