Featherbedding is a labor practice where unions or employees require an employer to hire more workers than necessary, or to adopt inefficient work procedures, simply to create or preserve jobs. It is essentially a "make-work" strategy primarily designed to guarantee job security and prevent unemployment in the face of technological advances.
Featherbedding is a contentious labor practice where unions require employers to hire or retain more workers than necessary, or to adopt inefficient work procedures, simply to create and preserve jobs. Also known as "make-work," it artificially inflates labor costs and limits productivity.
Featherbeds have been used for centuries, and they were originally designed to be placed on top of the mattress to provide an extra layer of warmth. Nowadays, featherbeds are mostly used for their unique ability to provide a softer and more comfortable sleeping surface as well as extra insulation.
The 1947 Taft-Hartley act prohibited Featherbedding. What is featherbedding? A. The practice of refusing to bargain in good faith.
Featherbedding is restricted by federal law but is an unfair labor practice only if, for example, a union exacts pay from an employer for services not performed or not to be performed.
(formerly Twitter). In 2025, Musk was appointed by president Trump to head the Department of Government Efficiency, which was opposed by several trade unions. In 2023, Musk commented that he disagreed with "the idea of unions", describing it as a "lords and peasants" scenario.
A strike occurs when the members of a union bargaining unit withhold their services from the employer as a group. It is legal for employees to strike either to support their economic demands or to protest unfair labor practices by their employer.
Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the "7-minute rule" is a common time-tracking practice that allows employers to round employee clock-in and clock-out times to the nearest quarter-hour (15 minutes).
California protects an employee's right to decide whether they want to participate in union activities. And, under the California Labor Code (CLC), employers may not retaliate against an employee because of involvement in union activities.
Unfair Labour Practices (ULPs) are violations of employment or labor laws. They typically fall into two main categories: labor union violations (infringing on an employee's right to organize) and general workplace discrimination or retaliation.
The 2-2-1 pillow rule is a simple formula that uses five pillows in a specific pattern: two large pillows, two medium pillows, and one accent pillow. Interior designer Shea McGee suggests starting with this configuration to create a balanced, professional look.
The featherbed frame was a motorcycle frame invented by the McCandless brothers and offered to the British Norton motorcycle company to improve the performance of their racing motorcycles in 1950. It was considered revolutionary at the time, and the best handling frame that a racer could have.
Featherbedding is the practice of hiring more workers than are needed to perform a given job, or to adopt work procedures which appear pointless, complex and time-consuming merely to employ additional workers.
Here's a look at states that do not have right-to-work laws:
When used on top your mattress, you can use a fitted sheet to cover the featherbed (if the pockets are deep enough). You can also use a cotton featherbed protector, which fits over the featherbed like a pillow case.
The general rule is don't bring your everyday complaints to HR. They're not there to make your job better or easier and they might fire you simply because they don't want to hear it. This is usually legal.
Just Cause for Firing a Union Employee
Most union CBAs include a “just cause” clause that protects union employees. This gives union employees more job protection than at-will employees who are not in a union. Generally, it means the employer must have a legitimate reason for terminating an employee.
Iceland has the highest proportion of unionized workers in the world, with roughly 91% of its workforce belonging to a labor union.
The real lesson – or one of them – is that it pays to use whatever freedom you do have over your schedule not to "maximise your time" or "optimise your day", in some vague way, but specifically to ringfence three or four hours of undisturbed focus (ideally when your energy levels are highest).
Under California labor law, if you work for wages, it's illegal for your employer to force you to work off-the-clock. All time you spend working must be paid. That's true even if your employer didn't authorize the extra time— if they knew or should've known about it— then it must be compensated.
The 9-5 workday used to be standard for all employees, but that's changed quite a bit over the last few years, thanks to the steady shift toward — and demand for — hybrid and remote work plans. Employees have come to expect flexibility in their work location and schedule.
10 Words That Worry HR
A strikebreaker (sometimes pejoratively called a scab, blackleg, bootlicker, blackguard or knobstick) is a person who works despite an ongoing strike. Strikebreakers may be current employees (union members or not), or new hires to keep the organization running (hired after or during the strike).
A person who consistently avoids work is typically called a slacker, shirker, or loafer. These individuals deliberately shirk responsibilities, often doing the bare minimum to get by.