Understaffing and Deliberate Understaffing in Various Industries

Many industries are grappling with issues of understaffing and deliberate understaffing. Dollar General purposely understaffs its stores, which puts workers at risk and compromises customer service. Education support professionals report chronic understaffing and unpredictable schedules, leading to dangerous conditions in schools. Similarly, healthcare workers, especially nurses, are facing unmanageable nurse-to-patient ratios due to deliberate understaffing by hospitals. The rail industry, including freight services, has been hit hard as companies are stretching workers thin by piling more work on fewer employees. These instances of deliberate and chronic understaffing result in overworked and overwhelmed workers, compromised safety and customer service, and low job satisfaction.