UPDATED May 2, 2019
The House Committee on State Affairs passed Senate Bill 2486, legislation barring local governments from imposing penalties on employers who need to change workers’ schedules at the last minute.
“There’s a lot of pressure on local officials to pass these so-called ‘predictive scheduling’ ordinances,” said Annie Spilman, NFIB’s state director for Texas. “The problem, of course, is that employers in general, and small businesses in particular, can’t always anticipate their staffing needs a week or two in advance, especially in industries like hospitality and construction that staff as events are planned and projects are picked up.
“Small business owners care about their employees and want to treat them fairly, but sometimes things change,” Spilman said. “People can quit or call in sick, or something else can happen that leaves a business shorthanded, and employers have no choice but to ask people to come in at the last minute.
“Predictive scheduling ordinances would basically punish employers for ordinary hiccups that occur in the course of running a business,” Spilman said. “Our members believe scheduling and other employment practices are best regulated by the state, not by cities and counties because local ordinances can create confusion and additional costs for firms with employees who work in different jurisdictions.
“S.B. 2486 is part of a package of legislation that would bar local governments from overreaching and imposing rules that go beyond what the state already requires,” Spilman said. “Our members are hopeful the committee will approve the entire package so the full House can pass it and make it easier for small businesses in Texas to grow and create jobs.”
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
NFIB’s state director for Texas and several of the association’s small-business members will testify before the House Committee on State Affairs at 8 a.m. Wednesday, May 1, in support of legislation barring local governments from imposing their own employment rules and regulations that go beyond what the state requires.
State Director Annie Spilman and NFIB members will speak in support of:
- S.B. 2485, which addresses employment benefits
- S.B. 2486, scheduling practices
- S.B. 2487, sick leave
- S.B. 2488, questions about a job applicant’s criminal background, also known as “ban the box.”
All four bills were introduced by state Sen. Brandon Creighton (Conroe).
Stopping cities and counties from overreaching and enacting their own employment mandates is one of NFIB’s top priorities this legislative session, Spilman said.
“Small businesses don’t have the time or resources to work through a confusing and contradictory patchwork of local ordinances, no matter how well-intentioned,” Spilman said. “When you have a jumble of conflicting local mandates, it adds to the cost of doing business, especially if you have mobile employees or operations in multiple jurisdictions, and that makes it harder for small businesses to grow and create jobs.
“That’s why we’re asking the committee to stop cities and counties from going rogue and imposing employment rules and regulations that are unfair and hurt small businesses,” Spilman said.
NFIB is the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization. To learn more about NFIB in Texas, visit www.NFIB.com/TX and follow @NFIB_TX on Twitter.
