Imagine you're a working parent. You make ends meet with a part-time job at a department store, but the ever-changing schedule makes life difficult. Some weeks, you work so much that you're left scrambling for last-minute childcare. Others, you barely get enough hours to cover all your expenses. Professor Susan Lambert describes why this has become the reality for an increasing number of Americans, how these scheduling practices impact both employees and their employers, and what policymakers can do to ease the burden.

For more on this topic:

• Check out Susan's SSN brief, The Realities of Unpredictable Work Schedules for America's Hourly Employees
• Read the Harvard Business Review's article on her research