“I work every other Sunday as a closer, which [ends] at 10:30 or really 11-ish, then [I am] scheduled at 6 a.m. the next morning.” “Managers, if you talk to them about the schedule, they’ll blame [any issues] on the software.” “They expect you to always say yes [to the next shift].” 

The quotes from America’s lower-paid employees describe today’s realities for breadwinners whose work hours are decided algorithmically. Quantitative research shows the constant instability. Harvard researchers found “80% of workers have little to no input into their schedules and 69% are required by their employer to keep their schedules ‘open and available’ to work whenever needed.” Many end up with fewer hours than necessary to make ends meet.