The director of the Fair Workweek Initiative at the Center for Popular Democracy calls predictable schedules the "working-class issue of our time." Unstable work schedules negatively impact health, family life, and economic well-being. Inconsistent schedules can make it difficult for workers to budget, save, or set aside money for emergencies.

The negative impact of unpredictable work schedules extends beyond financial consequences. Employees with inconsistent schedules are less happy and experienced more psychological distress than employees with stable work hours. Parents are particularly hard-pressed to secure childcare on evenings and weekends. Many are forced to rely on family and friends for childcare while they are working. Often, the employer must ask for help on short notice, upsetting family and friends' plans and damaging important relationships. Parents working jobs with unstable schedules spend less time on developmental activities with young children.

In 2017, Oregon became the first state to pass a "fair scheduling law" starting in 2018. Companies in Oregon were required to provide work schedules at least seven days in advance. This legislation also said that large retail, hospitality, and foodservice companies would have to provide schedules at least 14 days in advance. The same year, New York City passed an ordinance requiring the employers to provide schedules 14 days in advance with two hours extra pay for last-minute assignments. The ordinance also required that employers pay employees for four hours of scheduled shifts that were canceled within 72 hours of the start time. Some employers pushed back saying that legislators did not fully appreciate the negative impact the legislation would have on business.

Required: Discuss the impact that this law, if passed federally or in every state, would have on businesses and on employees.

Answer rating: 100% (QA)

Fair workweek laws also known as predictive scheduling laws generally require that employers in covered industries provide employees in advance with t... View the full answer