CHICAGO, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Improving schedule stability in the retail sector means better sleep for sales associates, a study posted on the website of the University of Chicago shows.
The study examined the effects of a scheduling intervention, from predictability to consistency to workers' input, at 28 Gap stores including 15 in the San Francisco Bay area and 13 in the Chicago metropolitan area.
The researchers found that following the experiment, sales associates reported their sleep quality improved by 6 percent to 8 percent.
"We found that even modest improvements to work schedules can make a meaningful difference to workers' health and well-being," said Susan Lambert, associate professor at the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration, who studies how to create a better model of work for both hourly low-wage employees and employers.
The study also found that the intervention reduced stress among parents and workers holding a second job.
Poor sleep quality and sleep deprivation have negative short- and long-term effects on health and impede the ability to learn. According to the study, many sales associates support themselves and lack necessities such as food and housing and are financially stressed due to the inability to secure a minimum number of work hours.
A previous study found that stable scheduling at the Gap produced a 7-percent boost in median sales and a 5-percent increase in labor productivity.
