Fair Workweek laws

Fair Workweek laws (also called predictive scheduling laws) are city and state rules that give shift workers more certainty about when they will work. There is no federal scheduling law — this is local legislation, aimed mostly at large retail, fast food, and hospitality employers, and it directly regulates how schedules are built and changed.

The common ingredients

• Advance notice: schedules posted a set number of days ahead — commonly 14 days.
• Predictability pay: extra compensation when the employer changes a posted schedule on short notice.
• Right to rest: protection against "clopening" — closing late and opening early — unless the employee consents, often with premium pay.
• Access to hours: offering extra hours to existing part-time staff before hiring new people.
• Good-faith estimates: new hires receive a written estimate of expected hours and shifts.

Where they apply

Oregon has a statewide law; cities include New York, San Francisco (the original Formula Retail Employee Rights Ordinances), Seattle, Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and others, each with its own thresholds and industries. The details differ enough that compliance is per-ordinance, but the operational answer is the same everywhere: build schedules earlier, change them less, and keep records of every change and consent — record-keeping duties are part of these laws too.

Local ordinances and Oregon's Employment Relations statute (ORS 653.412–653.485) — enforced by city labor offices (e.g., NYC DCWP, Seattle OLS) and Oregon BOLI.

Related terms

• Reporting time pay
• Split shift premium
• Timekeeping requirements