How scheduling, monitoring, and automation in service jobs affect worker health over a lifetime
Effects of Job Quality in the Service Sector on Health-Related Outcomes Across the Life Course
This project finds out how unpredictable schedules, workplace monitoring, and automation in service jobs affect the health and aging of service workers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Harvard University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cambridge, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11411612 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You may be asked to complete a short online survey delivered through Facebook that asks about your work schedule, monitoring or surveillance at work, automation, and basic health information. The researchers will gather new, large-scale survey data from service-sector workers across ages and job types and link those responses to health-related outcomes. They will use statistical analyses to see how temporal job features — like irregular hours or pace-of-work monitoring — relate to stress, health behaviors, and long-term aging. The goal is to provide evidence that can inform workplace policies affecting millions of service workers.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are U.S.-based service-sector workers (for example in retail, food service, or hospitality) who experience unpredictable schedules, surveillance, or automation and who can complete online surveys.
Not a fit: People who do not work in the service sector, who lack exposure to scheduling or monitoring issues, or who cannot participate in online surveys are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could point to workplace practices and policies that improve schedules, reduce harmful monitoring, and protect worker health as they age.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies have linked job conditions to health, but measuring these newer temporal job practices at large scale via online surveys is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Cambridge, United States
- Harvard University — Cambridge, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Schneider, Danny — Harvard University
- Study coordinator: Schneider, Danny
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.