Parental nonstandard work schedule and children’s educational outcomes

With nearly 24 million US workers employed in nonstandard work schedules in 2017/2018, there is a pressing need for research on how such schedules influence children’s educational outcomes. This study investigated the association between parental nonstandard schedules and educational performance among children aged 6–17 years. Using nationally representative data from the 2014–2022 Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) (n = 28,086) and applying generalized estimating equations methods, we found that children from parents working nonstandard schedules were significantly less likely to be enrolled in gifted classes and were more likely to be suspended, excluded, or expelled from school. These negative outcomes were pronounced among children from single-parent and low-income families and whose parents had lower educational attainment. The findings underscore how different dimensions of employment including nonstandard work schedules contribute to differences in children’s educational performance and suggest that studies examining the societal burden of nonstandard schedules consider these indirect intergenerational effects.