Stable scheduling increases sales and employee productivity, study finds

A study co-authored by Assoc. Prof. Susan Lambert demonstrates that stable schedules for sales associates results in increased sales and labor productivity. A new study co-authored by a UChicago scholar demonstrates that giving sales associates more stable schedules leads to increased sales and labor productivity. Working in partnership with retailer The Gap, the interdisciplinary research is the first randomized, controlled experiment designed to shift low-wage, hourly jobs toward more stable schedules. The intervention produced a high return on investment, increasing median sales by 7 percent and labor productivity by 5 percent-challenging the widely held assumption that schedule instability for part-time and full-time employees is inevitable in the volatile retail sector. "Scheduling practices in retail jobs are often characterized by hours that fluctuate week to week and day to day. This makes it hard to fulfill responsibilities on and off the job," said study co-author Susan Lambert , associate professor of the University of Chicago's School of Social Service Administration.