The prevalence and consequences of punitive time and attendance policies in the food and retail industries

Work time control and flexibility are beneficial for workers, but many low-income, hourly workers face rigid expectations to be available for all scheduled shifts without modification. This study examines an understudied dimension of work-time control: punitive time and attendance policies. Many companies apply these ‘point systems’ in which points are used as sanctions for time and attendance policy violations. When points accumulate, they lead to increasingly serious consequences with the potential to exacerbate inequality for workers with caregiving responsibilities or health problems. Recent prior research has relied on content analysis of points policies or on single-company surveys. In this paper, we provide the first large-scale examination of inequalities in point systems. We draw on novel survey data collected by the Shift Project from 4,209 service sector workers to document the prevalence and consequences of point systems in the U.S. We find that point systems affect more than 2 of 5 hourly workers at large service sector firms, and those in poor health are disproportionately penalized under point systems. Further, workers penalized through point systems have worse employment and well-being outcomes, raising concerns that point systems may compound disadvantages faced by workers with disabilities or chronic health conditions.