 A "shabbos goy" is not needed where life is at stake ("pikuach nefesh") or in the case where there would be a reasonable chance of danger to life ("safek pikuach nefesh").Originally, the job of the "shabbos goy" was often given to a poor woman, and the compensation was in the form of "challah"; later, money was given, although not on Shabbat or not directly given to the worker, due to halakhic restrictions on hiring workers on Shabbat.According to Ronald J. Eisenberg, "Today the proliferation of electronic timers has virtually eliminated the need for the "Shabbos goy", who once played an important role, especially in the "shtetls" of Eastern Europe."