Part time culture
In the 2000 years there was a big shift in many service industries, including Financial Services, retail grocery, etc. to part-time. Their official reasoning was to better meet high volume periods rather than having worker be idol when there were fewer clients. It made a lot of scene. However, financially the benefit to employer was reduced cost of benefits.
I witnessed this in the Banking Industry. Employees working less than 24 hours a week did not get the health benefits nor participate in retirement packages. These were not minimum wage jobs. They actually paid the part timers a few buck more to offset lack of benefit.
Bottom line it never really worked in attracting or retaining the employees needed to upward mobility. Most everyone can relate to going to the bank at lunch time or at end of day and it being very busy with longer than normal waits.
It never was about the client, but the bottom line. Now many banks are having to decide how to move forward. Make more full time jobs available or pursue the part time market. In most metropolitan areas they are closing offices and consolidating because they can not or will not hire people with 32-40 hours a week jobs. Clients are being forced to use ATM's and other online options. One Bank with part time positions will not even consider people without a college degree!
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