Employees with children do not last long in Lindamood-Bell, no matter their talent. Hourly employees (all staff save 2-3 employees in each branch) are required to have open availability and work no other jobs, but branches are not obligated to fill their schedules. Hours can vary drastically, with 40+ hours a week at peak times, down to 25 or below when the center is slow. I once asked my manager for more consistent hours, to which she responded “you just called off the other day- isn’t it a little ironic to ask for more hours?” As my manager knew, I had called off to care for a sick child. Apparently children are only valued when they’re paying an hourly rate.
The most disheartening turn of events I have seen, however, has been corporate’s approach to Covid-19. Despite marketing their image as a school, Lindamood-Bell has decided to open its doors to students rather than keep instruction exclusively online. Southern states with high infection rates were some of the first to open, and masks were not made mandatory until this week.
We work one-on-one with students, using materials that have largely been digitized- the only legitimate argument for working in-center is technical issues that could arise on the tutor’s end. Employee oversight and accommodating parents who wish to send their kids in person are more likely the driving forces. Paired with a slew of hushed layoffs and demotions, this change has been detrimental to employee morale, a problem HR has only worsened with curt responses and gaslighting.