How Unemployment Insurance Rules Fail Workers with Volatile Schedules

Posted by National Employment Law Project on August 10, 2015

OUT OF SYNC: HOW UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE RULES FAIL WORKERS WITH VOLATILE JOB SCHEDULES

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Millions of Americans are employed in jobs with volatile schedules that fluctuate weekly, both in terms of total hours and shift times; these workers receive little advance notice of their shifts and are frequently required to work “on call.” One consequence of job-schedule volatility is job loss: for some workers, the mismatch between job schedules and the rest of their responsibilities become untenable, either forcing them to quit or leading them to be fired from their jobs. In these cases, workers and their families need a safety net to help them while they seek new, hopefully more stable, employment. For many jobless workers, public cash assistance is not available, often leaving unemployment insurance (UI) as the only safety net. This paper explores the extent to which UI responds to the needs of workers who are jobless due to volatile work schedules.

http://www.nelp.org/publication/out-of-sync-how-unemployment-insurance-rules-fail-workers-with-volatile-job-schedules/