Scheduling Technology Leaves Low-Income Parents With Hours of Chaos • Hacker News Board

Re: Scheduling Technology Leaves Low-Income Parents With Hours of Chaos

#21

Post by antman » Thu, Aug 14, 2014, 2:45 PM UTC

apalmer wrote: post #19

swalsh wrote: post #15

If there is a higher demand for workers during certain hours, shouldn't the workers be paid higher for those hours? Seems like a fair trade off? If you want ala carte hours, you should pay ala carte prices. Only way I can think to do it though is by regulating time software... something like "if you use flexible hours, you must comply to these regulations" where in they specify custom pricing.

This doesnt really follow. There is no incentive for the business to pay more just because.

In other countries it is compulsory.

Re: Scheduling Technology Leaves Low-Income Parents With Hours of Chaos

#22

Post by Kenji » Thu, Aug 14, 2014, 2:46 PM UTC

Iftheshoefits wrote: post #17

Kenji wrote: post #12

Am I the only one who thinks you shouldn't have a child if you haven't yet set up a stable environment for them? That includes sorting out your education and jobs.

You're not the only one; there are a great many people who have the same opinion. Not that you aren't entitled to your opinions, and this one in particular, but the fact is the particular opinion you've expressed is filled with assumptions and implicit assertions that aren't justified by any empirical data or analytical thought.

"the particular opinion you've expressed is filled with assumptions and implicit assertions that aren't justified by any empirical data or analytical thought."

Do you mind explaining what you mean in particular? It sounds rather vague.

Re: Scheduling Technology Leaves Low-Income Parents With Hours of Chaos

#23

Post by apalmer » Thu, Aug 14, 2014, 2:46 PM UTC

Kenji wrote: post #12

Am I the only one who thinks you shouldn't have a child if you haven't yet set up a stable environment for them? That includes sorting out your education and jobs.

Yes, this is a true statement. It is also pretty irrelevant to the issue at hand.

Re: Scheduling Technology Leaves Low-Income Parents With Hours of Chaos

#24

Post by swalsh » Thu, Aug 14, 2014, 2:47 PM UTC

apalmer wrote: post #19

swalsh wrote: post #15

If there is a higher demand for workers during certain hours, shouldn't the workers be paid higher for those hours? Seems like a fair trade off? If you want ala carte hours, you should pay ala carte prices. Only way I can think to do it though is by regulating time software... something like "if you use flexible hours, you must comply to these regulations" where in they specify custom pricing.

This doesnt really follow. There is no incentive for the business to pay more just because.

I edited my comment about 2 seconds after I posted it, saying that it would probably require regulation.

Re: Scheduling Technology Leaves Low-Income Parents With Hours of Chaos

#25

Post by raverbashing » Thu, Aug 14, 2014, 2:49 PM UTC

noahbarr wrote: post #4

Additional "worker compassionate" scheduling constraints could be easily added to the optimizAtion to fix this problem. Corporations have to care about their employees. You don't hear Costco employees complaining.

Exactly this, the company is not caring about their employees.

As some say, "the companies that have a union are the ones that deserve it"

Still, with the massive unemployment, it's hard to push for things like this.

Re: Scheduling Technology Leaves Low-Income Parents With Hours of Chaos

#26

Post by kevinh » Thu, Aug 14, 2014, 2:49 PM UTC

Kenji wrote: post #12

Am I the only one who thinks you shouldn't have a child if you haven't yet set up a stable environment for them? That includes sorting out your education and jobs.

Children aren't always intentional, and birth control isn't cheap, especially for someone who works near-minimum wage jobs. Add to that the general lessening of availability of birth control due to conservative influences in the United States, and you get an environment in which birth control is hard to effectively use—especially if you're on an erratic schedule, which this woman is.

Re: Scheduling Technology Leaves Low-Income Parents With Hours of Chaos

#27

Post by willismichael » Thu, Aug 14, 2014, 2:50 PM UTC

Kenji wrote: post #18

_delirium wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sorting it out requires predicting ~20 years of social and technology changes, which is a pretty high bar. A stable job today might not be stable in 5 years, if employment conditions change (as they seem to be changing in the case discussed here). I suspect in the medium-term future there will be very few stable jobs at all.

"Sorting it out requires predicting ~20 years of social and technology changes, which is a pretty high bar." No. Finishing your degree before you have a child is not a high bar. It's common sense.

"Finishing your degree" in no way guarantees employment.

Re: Scheduling Technology Leaves Low-Income Parents With Hours of Chaos

#28

Post by ARothfusz » Thu, Aug 14, 2014, 2:50 PM UTC

This article and the one on "House Elf Bias" (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8177292) reinforce each other. What magic had to happen to create that 40 hour schedule? What does the world look like to Gavin, the 4 year old son in the scheduling story?

Re: Scheduling Technology Leaves Low-Income Parents With Hours of Chaos

#29

Post by cobralibre » Thu, Aug 14, 2014, 2:50 PM UTC

Kenji wrote: post #12

Am I the only one who thinks you shouldn't have a child if you haven't yet set up a stable environment for them? That includes sorting out your education and jobs.

Access and funding for reproductive health care and education have been cut severely by many U.S. state legislatures in the past several years. See, for example: https://www.aclu.org/blog/tag/war-women

Re: Scheduling Technology Leaves Low-Income Parents With Hours of Chaos

#30

Post by swalsh » Thu, Aug 14, 2014, 2:50 PM UTC

Kenji wrote: post #12

Am I the only one who thinks you shouldn't have a child if you haven't yet set up a stable environment for them? That includes sorting out your education and jobs.

Some people will never get the opportunity to have a stable environment... through no fault of their own. Does that mean they should never have the opportunity to be parents?