When do part‐time workers increase effectiveness? A study of food banks and the SNAP program outreach

The use of part‐time employees to support operations has been a contentious topic in the literature. While part‐time employees add cost‐effective flexibility to operations, their impact on operational outcomes has largely been documented as negative. However, there are a number of sectors (e.g., non‐profit) which rely heavily on part‐time employees, with anecdotal evidence supporting their role in improving outcomes. Through this research, we seek to shed light on these contradicting perspectives. We do so by investigating the impact of the percentage of part‐time employees in the workforce dedicated to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) outreach efforts at United States (U.S.) food banks on the effectiveness of this initiative. SNAP is the largest domestic hunger program in the U.S., assisting over 42 million individuals, and food banks play a critical role in outreach and enrollment for SNAP. We utilize data on the operational characteristics and SNAP activities of food banks that are members of the Feeding America network and U.S. Census data on the demographic characteristics of their service area. We find that an increased percentage of part‐time FTEs (full‐time equivalent) in a food bank's workforce dedicated to SNAP outreach efforts increases its effectiveness, particularly in relation to operational and contextual factors that can benefit from a more flexible workforce. Based on these findings and our review of the literature, we propose a conceptual framework on the effectiveness of part‐time employees in different settings. Highlights An increased percentage of part‐time employees in a food bank's workforce dedicated to SNAP outreach positively impacts its effectiveness in outreach efforts, countering negative perceptions on part‐time employees' impact on operational outcomes derived from studies in for‐profit settings. The flexibility provided by part‐time employees dedicated to SNAP outreach is crucial in facilitating outreach to older demographics and leveraging existing operational resources such as mobile pantries in reaching less‐mobile populations more easily. Policymakers should consider strategies to enhance the value for part‐time workers, such as offering incentives to organizations for improved benefits and training, which can make part‐time employment a more rewarding and lucrative option for the demographic seeking flexibility, ultimately improving the financial and mental well‐being of these employees as well as a