This Factory Was Severely Short On Workers. Then It Offered Flexible Work. (npr.org)
- Reference: 0184402168
- News link: https://it.slashdot.org/story/26/07/11/0639259/this-factory-was-severely-short-on-workers-then-it-offered-flexible-work
- Source link: https://www.npr.org/2026/07/08/nx-s1-5876084/manufacturing-flexible-part-time-work
[2]NPR says it's attracting "people who may not be seeking a traditional career in the industry or even a 40-hour workweek,"
> It's a change that manufacturers including Stanley Black & Decker and Georgia-Pacific are embracing... Today, in any given week, about 450 flexible workers — roughly half the pool — pick up shifts at the [GE Appliances] plant, with workers putting in an average of 24 hours a week. Their contributions have been key to GE Appliances' $180 million expansion of the Georgia plant, completed last year, which added 600 new jobs... [Darcy Duvall, the plant's director of human resources operations] has also come to see that many workers prize flexibility despite the significant trade-offs — like lower pay and almost no benefits. MyWorkChoice employees can opt into their own group healthcare plan, but few do... The flexible work option has also helped GE Appliances keep longtime employees with decades of experience on the job.
[1] https://www.slashdot.org/~Tony+Isaac
[2] https://www.npr.org/2026/07/08/nx-s1-5876084/manufacturing-flexible-part-time-work
The difference between blue collar and white colla (Score:1)
Blue collar gets paid by effort put in, white collar gets paid by end result produced.
A century ago, number or wrench turns per shift accurately captured the former. Today, babysitting a cnc isn't as easily translated into a measurement of productivity.
There's obviously a whole continuum in between but it's unsurprising that traditionally blue collar work is adopting white collar trappings.
Re: (Score:1)
give the poor guy a break
supply side economics turned out to be wrong and a lie
climate change is absolutely true
vaccines actually do work
all his republican leaders turned out to be cucks, liars and thieves (and a healthy mix of pedophiles too!)
trump turned into more of a crook and swamp monster than the bluest haired liberal ever accused him
for as much as we should simply ignore the opinions of anyone stupid enough to vote for trump 3 times but lets remember the guys entire belief system has been one fat L
Re: (Score:2)
The true difference is that the white collar sets the wages for the blue collar that actually physically works for a living, which is backwards IMHO.
Re: The difference between blue collar and white c (Score:1)
Yeah, I don't understand how he makes more money than I do, I just know he stole it from me somehow....
Interesting Challenges (Score:2)
Presumably it can help fill undesirable shifts by offering higher pay, but it would seem like you need a huge pool of people to make it work.
So, a factory gig system? (Score:4, Insightful)
With low pay, no benefits and no commitment? Sounds like the magic that will attract and keep high-quality, skilled labor that will create an yuge competitive advantage.
A story that is truly hard not to take at face value, lol.
Gig economy replacing traditional labour (Score:4, Insightful)
That factory will stop looking for full time workers now that they've discovered the desperate will take underpaid part time slots that don't require benefits.
We should be looking at this story with horror, not admiration.
Re:Gig economy replacing traditional labour (Score:4, Insightful)
Few things are universally good or bad - despite the desire of the press and politics to simplify. For someone looking to pick up a little extra income (school hours, evening, weekend) it's probably good thing (almost certainly better than any of the driving gigs). For anyone who is doing this because they just can't get full-time, with benefits, work this truly sucks.
A significant part of the problem is that the US, pretty much alone amongst first world countries, ties benefits, particularly health care to employment. Break that connection and this doesn't suck quite as badly.
workers comp issues and if some gets hurt then (Score:2)
workers comp issues and if some gets hurt then
Death of the unions (Score:3)
This is the death of Unions being played out in real-time. Low wages, no benefits, no promises of tomorrow, everyone for themself.
Hospitals and nurses (Score:2)
Have been doing this for years.
Re: (Score:2)
> Have been doing this for years.
One group it is good for is those nearing retirement who might like to reduce their hours for a while first, or retire and pick up some part time work for extra income for the first little while. Good for the companies to have some skilled part-timers to fill in for temporary needs as well, no training required. As someone who retired and then continued to do some part time contract work for my former employer it definitely worked well for myself. I was in IT but with the shortage of health care workers
The alternative title (Score:2)
The Race to the Bottom continues
So Not Shocking (Score:3)
So US management is *finally* learning that the 5-day, 40-hour workweek was not bestowed from upon high? That given a choice, many people would prefer work/life balance to higher wages? Color me unsurprised...
Re: (Score:3)
> So US management is *finally* learning that the 5-day, 40-hour workweek was not bestowed from upon high? That given a choice, many people would prefer work/life balance to higher wages? Color me unsurprised...
Interesting view. I (from northern Europe) read the article as trying to rose taint full time jobs not paying a living wage necessitating a second job and likewise retirees not having enough pension funds to actually stop working. Perhaps I'm being prejudice against less organized societies.
Re: (Score:2)
and likewise retirees not having enough pension funds
In the vast majority of cases, companies no longer have pensions. They probably have a 401(K), which is a type of retirement account, and requires the person to make financial decisions such as how much to have deducted from each paycheck and what investment tool to purchase with that money. Companies generally, but not always, have a matching amount which is added. Some simply give a set amount each year into a person's 401(K).
At this point, the only
Re: So Not Shocking (Score:2)
Part time pay and no health or retirement benefits
How can we lose?