Walmart's Flexible Work Schedules
No, it's not what you're thinking. WalMart hasn't become employee-friendly. According to the WSJ, Walmart "...using a new computerized scheduling system, will start moving many of its 1.3 million workers from predictable shifts to a system based on the number of customers in stores at any given time. The move promises greater productivity and customer satisfaction for the huge retailer but could be a major headache for employees."
This concept, sometimes called "labor optimization" is an attempt by companies to use sophisticated software to efficiently plan their schedules so that they can be adequately staffed when customers need them, and not over-staffed when there are few customers around. One company that uses this method is Radio Shack - remember them - they're the ones that fired 400 employees via email.
While it may be good for the company, skimping here and saving a few dollars there, it is not likely to be beneficial to employees. Employees may not know their schedules until the last minute, may be sent home early without advance notice, may have overtime reduced and miss the opportunity to plan time with their families.
Sounds great, but has anyone thought about the possible increased recruiting and retention expenses that companies will incur as they try to lure people into these unstable jobs? Also, what about productivity? Will it make firms more productive, or will employees resent the whole system?