Study Identifies Media Influence on Negative Perceptions of Casual Employment

What is “casual employment”? We hear the term in the news a lot. In fact, it’s a distinct employment classification under U.S. federal law and the laws of many other nations. By definition, casual employment is a situation in which an employee is offered work only when it is needed, with no expectation that there will be more work in the future. Workers who fall under this classification are compensated only for time they actually worked, so they don’t receive holiday pay or paid time off.

In some cases, contact center work falls under the casual employment classification, particularly during times of extra hiring, such as for the holidays or the summer in seasonal businesses. Casual workers are often undervalued by companies, who perceive these employees as unreliable “fly by night” workers. Since the workers receive few benefits and are generally receiving low pay, it becomes a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy. The work simply isn’t perceived as good enough for loyalty on the employee’s part.

There is some evidence, however, that these workers’ attitudes are heavily influenced by negative media reports of casual work. Sydney, Australia-based workforce management solutions provider Humanforce has found that negative perceptions of casual work is affecting employers’ ability to attract these workers. The data, which was reported on by Retail News Asia, was based on a survey of 500 Australians on their perspectives on casual work in the fourth quarter period of 2019 via the Zoho (News - Alert) Research Platform.

“There have been a number of cases recently involving local businesses underpaying their casual workers,” said Humanforce founder and managing director Bruce Mackenzie. “Negative media attention makes it harder for any business to attract the best casual workers. This comes at a substantial cost considering a reliable and talented casual worker pool is what supports the success of many Australian retailers.”

Workforce management solutions can help. These platforms can help employers navigate the complexities of managing a workforce by automating and removing errors when it comes to time and attendance, scheduling, payroll, as well as managing awards and compliance. Solutions such as Monet Workforce Management in the cloud can help managers build a more positive call center culture to help take the stigma out of casual and full-time contact center work.

Edited by Maurice Nagle

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