According to a bill pending before the California Legislature (AB 357):

Unpredictable scheduling practices and last-minute work schedule changes cause workers who are already struggling with low wages to live in a constant state of insecurity about when they will work or how much they will earn on any given day.

The solution, according to the legislators, is a bill telling certain businesses with more than 500 California employees (including electronic and tech retailers, grocery stores, restaurants, and franchises) that they must:

  • Give employees at least two weeks’ notice of their work schedule;
  • Pay penalties for shifts that are changed or canceled within that two weeks; and
  • Pay specified amounts to employees who are on call.

Apparently the legislators supporting this bill aren’t content to dictate how much employees must be paid. They now want to tell businesses how much scheduling flexibility they’re entitled to.

Copyright:  / 123RF Stock Photo
Copyright: / 123RF Stock Photo

It makes you wonder, have any of these legislators run businesses themselves? If they had, you think they’d know that successful businesses need to continuously respond to changes in customer preferences, competitors’ activities, cost and availability of raw materials, supply chain issues, distribution channel issues, weather, economic downturns, and a variety of other factors that don’t always come with two weeks’ notice.