1. plural of featherbedding; the practice of requiring an employer to hire more workers than necessary or to pay for work not performed, typically to protect jobs or increase wages
Usage: labor/employment context; often used in discussions of labor unions and workplace practices

Examples

• The union was accused of featherbeddings that increased labor costs without improving productivity.
• Management complained about featherbeddings in the contract that required overstaffing on certain shifts.
• Labor historians have documented various featherbeddings in the railroad industry during the mid-20th century.
• The company sought to eliminate featherbeddings to reduce operational expenses.
• Featherbeddings became a contentious issue during the contract negotiations between workers and employers.