featherbedding

American  

[feth-er-bed-ing] / ˈfɛð ərˌbɛd ɪŋ /

noun

1. the practice of requiring an employer to hire unnecessary employees, to assign unnecessary work, or to limit production according to a union rule or safety statute.

   Featherbedding forced the railroads to employ firemen on diesel locomotives.

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featherbedding British  

/ ˈfɛðəˌbɛdɪŋ /

noun

1. the practice of limiting production, duplicating work, or overmanning, esp in accordance with a union contract, in order to prevent redundancies or create jobs

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featherbedding Cultural  

1. The practice of forcing an employer to hire more workers than are needed for a job.

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Etymology

Origin of featherbedding

First recorded in 1920–25; feather + bedding

Example Sentences

This full-employment plan for kooks and hucksters gives new meaning to featherbedding.

From Washington Post • Sep. 16, 2022

We can certainly find lots of instances of journalistic corruption -- fake quotes, fabricated stories, featherbedding etc.

From Fox News • Sep. 16, 2020

The police have not defined their costs, and without a clear accounting of them, Wittenberg and other race promoters say they could end up becoming a victim of featherbedding.

From New York Times • Feb. 9, 2011

When every joke about your business mentions featherbedding, you should be worried about outsourcing.

From Economist • Dec. 16, 2010

In the Soviet complex the labor unions were in no position to block the introduction of ultra-efficient methods, and featherbedding was unheard of.

From Combat by Reynolds, Mack