Part$-$Time Employees

Currently, Level $1$ workers are full$-$time employees who receive benefits in addition to their wages, and they are represented by a union in negotiations with your organization. Benefits can add significantly to cost$,$ as can overtime if workers are not able to meet scheduled production goals. Your operations manager has proposed hiring part$-$time employees to reduce costs and increase production flexibility. Part$-$time employees would work half the hours of full$-$time employees and receive an hourly wage but no benefits. If production goals are not being met, they could be asked to work additional hours without having to pay them overtime.

While hiring part$-$time workers is expected to help reduce unit labour costs, it may increase hiring and training costs, since two part$-$time workers will need to be hired to do the work of one full$-$time employee. In addition, turnover for part$-$time workers tends to be higher, so productivity and quality may suffer. The operations manager thinks you should consider how full$-$time employees and the union might respond to the use of part$-$time workers.

Beginning now, you have the option of hiring part$-$time employees to do Level $1$ work. If you choose to hire part$-$time employees, you will be able to make Staffing and Wages decisions for them immediately and going forward.

What would you like to do$?$

$1.$ Do not hire part$-$time workers at this time.

$2.$ Hire part$-$time workers now.