SPRING VALLEY, CALIF. - Since the Fresh & Easy grocery chain was founded five years ago, it has opened 150 markets in California and positioned itself as a hip, socially responsible company.
A cross between Whole Foods and Trader Joe's, the company brags that its house brands have no artificial colors or trans fats, that two-thirds of its produce is grown locally and that its main distribution center is powered by a $13 million solar installation.
But in one crucial respect, Fresh & Easy is just like the vast majority of large U.S. retailers: Most employees work part time, with its stores changing many of their workers' schedules week to week.
At a Fresh & Easy store just east of San Diego, Shannon Hardin oversees seven self-checkout stations, usually by herself. Typically working shifts of five or six hours, she hops between stations -- bagging groceries, approving alcohol purchases, explaining the checkout system to shoppers and watching for shoplifters.
"I like it. I'm a people person," said Hardin, 50, who used to work as an office assistant at a construction company.
But after nearly five years at Fresh & Easy, she remains a part-time worker despite her desire to work full time. In fact, all 22 employees at her store are part time, except for the five managers. She earns $10.90 an hour, and with workweeks averaging 28 hours, her yearly pay equals $16,500. "I can't live on this," said Hardin, who is single. "It's almost impossible."
'70 percent part time'
While there have always been part-time workers, especially at restaurants and retailers, employers today rely on them far more than before as they seek more flexibility to align staffing to customer traffic and as they seek to cut payroll costs. This trend has frustrated millions of Americans who want full-time jobs.