News : New Roles at Gap Inc., Moncler and Refy

Monday, March 11, 2024

New Roles at Gap Inc., Moncler and Refy

In this week's Careers Newsletter, read BoF senior correspondent Sheena Butler-Young's latest: Is It Time for Retailers to Rethink the Part-Time Work Model?

Alexandra has worked part-time as a store associate at the same big, American fashion brand for more than a decade. But lately, she's been feeling checked out.

She said she takes shifts partly for the generous employee discount, partly to pad her savings and to afford the occasional splurge on dinner with friends, while her work as a media consultant pays the bills. (Alexandra asked that her last name be withheld since she is not authorised by her employer to speak to the media.)

But there are downsides. As a part-timer, Alexandra said she can't always get as much work as she'd like. She also misses key meetings where she might learn the new way to fold jeans, or changes to the break policy. As a result, it's not uncommon during a shift for her to be chastised for breaking a rule she didn't know existed.

"There's just not a lot of support from corporate to address issues that happen in the stores," she said. "I now only work four hours a week … I'm not here enough to put in the effort it would take to pursue resolutions."

Alexandra's experience represents the best and worst of being part of fashion's part-time workforce. In an industry where demand is often seasonal and margins are thin, the flexibility to quickly staff up – and down – is baked into countless companies' financial models. Part-time workers are also cheaper, as they are often paid less and typically aren't eligible for health insurance and other benefits.

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