Women’s Economic Security Agenda
Fair Scheduling Act
The problem
Unpredictable scheduling practices create profound insecurity and instability for workers and their families. Workers
cannot predict their hours or pay from day to day, make time for schooling or to care for children or family, secure a
second job, or qualify for promotions to full-time employment:
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Thirty-eight percent of all early-career adults – and almost half of those working part-time – get their schedules
one week or less in advance.
Employers schedule workers on-call with no guarantee of work or pay, cancel shifts at the last minute, or send
workers home early without paying them.
Employees are expected to be available at any and all hours. If workers limit their availability at all or they can’t
meet their employer’s last minute demands, employees are punished with fewer hours or other retaliation.
The solution
The Fair Scheduling Act will help ensure that employees get paid for their time. It also requires employers to give their
workers adequate time to plan their work and family lives. The Fair Scheduling Act helps workers by:
Guaranteeing predictable schedules so workers can plan ahead to meet their responsibilities on and off the job.
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Requiring employers to provide workers at least three weeks advance written notice of schedules.
Guaranteeing that employees are only required to work the hours on their schedule. Employees have the right
to decline any hours scheduled without advance notice.
Mandating that if employers want to make a change to an employee’s schedule, the employee must consent
and the employer must provide written notice within 24 hours.
Compensating employees for their time and flexibility and encouraging employers to create stable schedules.
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Guaranteeing that employees are paid for the hours they’re scheduled to work or four hours (whichever is
fewer) when shifts are cancelled or shortened within 24 hours, including an unworked on-call shift.
Mandating that if an employer changes an employee’s hours with less than three weeks notice, the employer
must pay the employee one hour of predictability pay – at the employee’s regular rate of pay – for each
schedule change.