Fair roasting is an important principle in virtually every (food) retail organization. Nevertheless, the subject continues to come up regularly in discussions with employees, the works council, and HR.
Not because planners have bad intentions. On the contrary. But because honesty is rarely explicitly stated.
Planners make daily decisions based on availability, flexibility, experience, and mutual relationships. That feels logical and human.
But it creates patterns:
No one consciously chooses this. Yet the effect is noticeable in the workplace.
This effect is more visible in (food) retail than in many other sectors. Stores rely on evening openings, weekend crowds, and fluctuating customer flows. At the same time, many employees work part-time or on flexible contracts.
What happens then?
The employee who is always available on Saturdays is scheduled as standard. The experienced staff member in a busy department is systematically given extra hours during peak periods. The colleague who 'always says yes' consistently works the closing shifts.
What starts as a practical solution develops into structural inequality.
In a labor market where employee retention is crucial, this translates directly into higher recruitment and training costs. It also affects operations: fatigue at peak times, lower service levels, and more errors during busy periods.
Honesty thus becomes not a principle, but a coincidence.
This is not a cultural issue. It is an issue of how hours are distributed in times of scarcity.
Do we want fairness to depend on who makes the schedule?
