SSN Memo

Assessing the Initial Impacts of the First Statewide Scheduling Law

Policy field

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University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco
University of Oregon

Below is an excerpt from a memo written by Larissa Petrucci, Lola Loustaunau, Lina Stepick, and Ellen Scott for the Labor Education & Research Center.

Oregon Senate Bill 828: In 2017 Oregon passed the first statewide legislation to regulate unpredictable scheduling practices. Below, we provide a summary of findings from interviews with workers and managers in businesses affected by the law.

Findings:

Workers are experiencing some improvements in scheduling due to the law:

  • Right to Rest Between Shifts, which requires employers to schedule workers with at least 10 hours between their shifts, to avoid ‘clopening’ shifts that prevent workers from getting adequate rest, has been implemented across industries.

  • Input into Work Schedule (Right to Request) allows workers to identify limitations or changes in work schedule availability without retaliation. Though we found workers generally have the right to request, many workers maintain open availability to the extent possible because they need more hours.

  • Advance Notice of Work Schedules, which requires employers to provide written work schedules 7 calendar days before the first day of the work schedule, has been implemented fairly consistently. Effective July 1, 2020, 14 days advance notice will be required.