Bill Overview
Title: Schedules That Work Act
Description: This bill provides employees with the right to request changes to their work schedules related to the number of hours they are required to work or be on call, the location of the work, the amount of notification about work schedule assignments, and fluctuations in work hours. Employers must negotiate in good faith with employees who make such requests and comply with certain work schedule notice and split shift pay requirements for retail, food service, cleaning, hospitality, or warehouse employees.
Sponsors: Rep. DeLauro, Rosa L. [D-CT-3]
Target Audience
Population: Employees with irregular work schedules in retail, food service, cleaning, hospitality, or warehouse sectors
Estimated Size: 30000000
- The bill directly concerns employees with irregular or unpredictable work schedules.
- It targets employees in particular sectors: retail, food service, cleaning, hospitality, and warehouse.
- These sectors traditionally employ a large number of workers with varying shift patterns and on-call requirements.
- Globally, these industries employ hundreds of millions of people, given their crucial role in serving consumer needs.
- In many countries, the informal sector, which overlaps with these industries, also includes workers with unpredictable schedules.
Reasoning
- The target population for the policy includes employees with irregular or unpredictable work schedules, focusing on sectors like retail, food service, cleaning, hospitality, and warehousing.
- These sectors often employ workers in low-wage positions with limited scheduling autonomy.
- Given the policy's focus and budget constraints ($50 million in year 1 and $609 million over 10 years), the policy's impact is likely to be more significant for a smaller subset of the target market rather than all 30 million potentially eligible workers.
- The people selected for interviews reflect a range of demographics and roles within these sectors to understand different potential impacts.
- Special attention is given to common job situations like being part-time, holding multiple jobs, or having caregiving responsibilities, which can exacerbate scheduling challenges.
Simulated Interviews
Retail Associate (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 24 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I hope the new policy will give me more predictability in my work schedule.
- As a student, it is tough juggling classes and work with current work schedule uncertainties.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Warehouse Worker (Chicago, IL)
Age: 32 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 18/20
Statement of Opinion:
- A more stable schedule would help tremendously with my family responsibilities.
- Currently, I have to rely on fluctuating shift assignments which makes planning anything difficult.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
Food Service Worker (Miami, FL)
Age: 28 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Balancing work without reliable childcare is almost impossible as it is.
- Fixed hours will allow me to possibly lock in regular childcare or support.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 3 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 4 | 3 |
Cleaner (Houston, TX)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I expect to gain more control over my hours, which might allow me to focus on one job rather than juggling multiple ones.
- It might reduce transport costs between jobs and spare me some stress.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Hotel Staff (New York, NY)
Age: 37 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The added ability to request changes formally gives some peace of mind but due to union protections, I am less affected directly.
- It's a step toward standardizing schedules across the industry.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Independent Contractor (Delivery Driver) (Detroit, MI)
Age: 60 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy doesn’t directly affect me much as I am an independent contractor now.
- However, reflecting on my past retail job, it would have been beneficial for stability.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Chef (Seattle, WA)
Age: 29 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 7.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I feel deeply affected by erratic last-minute shift changes.
- Being able to request and negotiate for more stable hours would make work-life balance achievable.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Supermarket Stocker (Atlanta, GA)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Having the ability to set more consistent work hours is crucial as I help with grandchild care.
- The policy seems like a positive move for reinforcing predictable work patterns.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Bartender (Philadelphia, PA)
Age: 41 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy might help in making my side job more predictable which is helpful for planning around my primary job.
- Overall, a potential small improvement in the quality of my life.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 4 | 4 |
Grocery Store Cashier (Austin, TX)
Age: 23 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's challenging to plan my life post-graduation with an unpredictable schedule.
- The ability to negotiate more stable hours sounds promising as I seek longer-term career options.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $50000000 (Low: $30000000, High: $70000000)
Year 2: $52000000 (Low: $31000000, High: $74000000)
Year 3: $54000000 (Low: $32000000, High: $78000000)
Year 5: $60000000 (Low: $35000000, High: $86000000)
Year 10: $72000000 (Low: $42000000, High: $100000000)
Year 100: $150000000 (Low: $88000000, High: $200000000)
Key Considerations
- The administrative burden on both government bodies and businesses to enforce and adhere to the new scheduling rights.
- The necessity for businesses to adjust operational processes to comply with scheduling requests.
- Potential for improved employee satisfaction leading to better retention rates.