[SeminaireCREM] Navigating Autonomy: The Impact of Scheduling Flexibility and Choices on Vulnerable Workers

Navigating Autonomy: The Impact of Scheduling Flexibility and Choices on Vulnerable Workers co-écrit avec Roberto Hernan and Angela Stuan
The workplace has recently undergone significant transformations characterized by an unprecedented level of scheduling autonomy. In a natural field experiment involving 998 gig workers, we show that scheduling autonomy, which requires effective planning, exclusively benefits workers with high self-control. Workers with limited self-control earn less when presented with scheduling choices, as they tend to commit to excessively rigid schedules. These vulnerable workers, characterized by low income and health status, are the most adversely affected by scheduling autonomy. For instance, workers in the lowest income quartile earn $2.15 less per hour when given scheduling options than when given a fixed schedule. We conclude that flexibility does not benefit all workers and that excessive autonomy, especially among vulnerable populations with limited cognitive resources, can be detrimental.