Susan Lambert

Susan J. Lambert is Professor in the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice at the University of Chicago and director of the Employment Instability, Family Well-Being, and Social Policy Network at the University of Chicago.

Lambert studies how employer practices shape the quality of jobs, the lives of low-paid workers, and inequality in the United States. Her research includes randomized experiments conducted in partnership with national retailers, comparative policy evaluations, and analyses of nationally representative surveys that incorporate new questions about work schedules—ones she helped develop.

Lambert’s research reveals the widespread prevalence of problematic scheduling practices in today’s U.S. labor market and their negative ramifications for worker well-being and family economic security. The findings from her research have been used to inform both public policy and employer practices.

Lambert received a B.A., summa cum laude, in psychology from Eastern Michigan University, and a M.S.W. (social program evaluation) and a Ph.D. in social work and social science (organizational psychology) from the University of Michigan.

To see Lambert discuss some of her research, click here (opens in a new tab).