The Legal Fight for Predictive Restaurant Scheduling

Four cities have passed laws related to predictable schedules for hourly employees.  Many more states have bills at the state level waiting to be passed.  

City ordinances in San Jose, Seattle, San Francisco, and New York City require covered employers to offer predictable schedules to employees.  Each city has their own take on the law, but common themes of predictive scheduling laws include:

Hours must be offered to existing employees before the employers may hire additional staff, including temporary and contract staff Employers must provide 14 days’ notice of an employee’s upcoming schedule If the employer cuts the hours of that employee within 14 days, the employer must pay a penalty or percentage of the hours cut If the employer requires additional hours with notice less than the two weeks, the employer may have to pay a higher hourly rate If the employee chooses to change the schedule within the 14-day period, a penalty does not apply.  Why aren’t restaurant…