New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said he intends to push through legislation that would require local fast-food restaurants to set and post work schedules two weeks in advance, and compensate employees whose hours are cut on shorter notice.
He also pledged to mandate that employees on the closing shift be provided with at least 10 hours of downtime before they are required to report again for work. He said the stipulation is aimed at preventing “clopenings,” or having workers who close a restaurant also open it the next day.
The mayor’s promise last week puts New York City on a track to follow San Francisco in setting restrictions on employers’ leeway to change work schedules. Similar legislation is expected to pass in Seattle today, despite opposition from a group of full-service restaurant employees. Those opponents contend that the restrictions will cut their hours and reduce their income.
Movements to restrict last-minute scheduling changes were unsuccesful in Washington, D.C., and Minneapolis.
De Blasio’s effort differs from those efforts by specifically targeting quick-service restaurants.
It also omits a stipulation included in some proposed scheduling restrictions that employers increase the hours of staff members already on the payroll before they opt for hiring more people.
The various requirements sketched out by de Blasio would apply to any limited-service restaurant that bears the same brand name and menu with at least 29 other places nationwide.
The mayor said he intends to act quickly in pushing the legislation through the City Council.
“We all anticipate this is something that could be done in a matter of a few months ideally,” he said at a press conference.
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