San Francisco leads the way on fair scheduling in retail

The following is from AFL-CIO Now:

SAN FRANCISCO (Dec. 3, 2014) — This city has taken a big step in the right direction by passing the Retail Workers Bill of Rights, which will end abusive scheduling practices and improve work environments for more than 40,000 workers at 1,250 locations in the city. The bill still has to be signed by the mayor, but workers and advocates are confident it will become law. By taking this big step, nearly half of the city’s workers in the related industries will have their lives improved.

The new rules will apply to retail stores, hotels and restaurants with at least 20 employees and at least 20 or more locations worldwide. The proposal would require employers to:

► Tell workers their schedules at least two weeks in advance.

► Pay workers extra if they change the schedule with less than 24 hours notice.

► Offer extra hours, if available, to current part-time workers before hiring new workers.

Additionally, if a company is sold, current employees who have worked for six months or longer are guaranteed to work for at least 90 days. Employers also are prohibited from discriminating against part-time workers when it comes to pay or promotions.

Congressional Democrats have offered a similar bill that probably won’t move forward in a Republican Congress. The Schedules That Work Act (H.R. 5159) would:

► Protect workers against employer retaliation for schedule requests.

► Require employers to use a process for schedule requests that meet the needs of workers, not just the company. In particular, requests that are based on caregiving duties, health conditions, education, training or a second job must be approved, unless there is a legitimate business reason not to approve them.

► Pay workers for at least four hours if they arrive at work for a shift of at least four hours and are sent home early.

► Require companies to provide schedules at least two weeks in advance and pay employees extra if schedules change with less than 24 hours notice.

► Make employers provide extra pay to employees who are scheduled to work non-consecutive shifts on the same day.Protect workers against employer retaliation for schedule requests.

U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen (D-2nd) is the only member of Congress from Washington state who has co-sponsored H.R. 5159.