Description: Over 35 percent of American workers are not treated as standard employees, denied both benefits and access to a career ladder. Paul Osterman surveyed more than 6,000 people to understand what it means to be a disposable worker. Noting that most would prefer traditional employment, Osterman offers proposals for job-quality reform.
Brief description: Paul Osterman is Professor Emeritus of Human Resources and Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management. His numerous books include Good Jobs America, Who Will Care for Us? and The Truth about Middle Managers.
Review Quotes: Disposable Workers is a deep and important look at a disturbing trend: the unfortunate Uberization of the US economy, in which corporations increasingly regard employees not as valuable assets but as pawns to be casually tossed aside. As Paul Osterman makes clear, companies are offering less and less of what workers need: steady employment with good wages, benefits, and promotions. These corporate practices are badly squeezing millions of Americans.--Steven Greenhouse, author of Beaten Down, Worked Up: The Past, Present, and Future of American Labor