Legal Definitions - job action

Job action refers to a coordinated, temporary effort by a group of employees to exert pressure on their employer to meet certain demands, without escalating to a full-scale strike where work is completely stopped. These actions are designed to disrupt normal operations or productivity in a way that signals employee dissatisfaction and encourages management to negotiate or concede.

• Example 1: Strict Adherence to Rules

  Imagine a team of public transit bus drivers who are unhappy with their new scheduling system. Instead of striking, they collectively decide to follow every single company rule and safety protocol to the absolute letter, even those often overlooked for efficiency. This includes taking the exact mandated break times, performing exhaustive pre-trip inspections, and adhering strictly to speed limits and passenger loading procedures, causing significant delays and disrupting the usual flow of service.

  Explanation: This is a job action because it's a concerted (collective) and temporary effort by employees. They are still performing their jobs, so it's "without resorting to a strike," but their strict adherence to rules is intended to pressure management by demonstrating the inefficiencies of the system and the impact of their dissatisfaction on service delivery.

• Example 2: Refusal of Voluntary Overtime

  Consider a group of factory workers who are seeking better health benefits. They typically volunteer for extra shifts on weekends or stay late to meet production targets, which is crucial for the factory's output. As a job action, they collectively agree to stop volunteering for any overtime, working only their mandatory hours. This causes a noticeable drop in production and creates a backlog of orders.

  Explanation: This scenario illustrates a job action because the employees' decision is concerted and temporary (until their demands are addressed). By refusing voluntary overtime, they are not stopping work entirely, but they are applying pressure on management by impacting productivity and profitability, thereby highlighting the value of their usual contributions and their collective resolve.

• Example 3: Collective Withholding of Non-Essential Participation

  A department of software engineers is concerned about a recent change in company policy regarding remote work. They usually participate enthusiastically in optional "innovation labs" or after-hours coding competitions that often lead to new product features or improvements. As a job action, they collectively decide to cease all participation in these voluntary initiatives, focusing solely on their core, mandatory project work during business hours.

  Explanation: This is a job action because it involves a concerted and temporary withdrawal of discretionary effort. The engineers are not on strike from their primary duties, but by collectively withholding their valuable voluntary contributions, they are creating pressure on management to reconsider the policy, demonstrating their dissatisfaction and the potential loss of innovation.