The city council is debating a new measure that would regulate how employers can schedule their employees
This Could Be Seattle’s Most Burdensome Regulation Since the Minimum Wage
Seattle’s city council is considering a new ordinance that is making local business owners queasy.
Labor advocates in the city have been calling for a new rule that could force business owners to give employees two weeks notice for new schedules, pay an extra hour of “predictability pay” when an employer changes a worker’s schedule, and at least 11 hours of rest between shifts, among other burdensome provisions, The Seattle Times has reported.
The ordinance is meant to provide some stability and normalcy for workers who sometimes find it difficult to navigate around a work schedule that changes regularly. But some owners are concerned this ordinance will create unintended consequences for businesses.
“The reality is that these mandates would constrain businesses from being able to offer the kind of flexible part-time work that is crucial for many,” Javier Palomarez, president and CEO of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, wrote in an article for The Huffington Post.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed a similar measure in 2014, according to the Seattle Times. Opponents of that law say it has created onerous restrictions on business owners, cost employees more hours at work, and hurt businesses financially, according to the San Francisco Business Times.
Business owners agree with some of the measures but hope to see more limited rules than the ones proposed by labor groups. For example, business groups agree to
one week of notice for upcoming schedules, but many say two weeks would be too obstructive, the Seattle Times reported.
Seattle City Council members anticipate debating a full draft of this legislation in August, according to the Seattle Times.
