Scheduling Practices May Be Affected by Proposed Legislation
It’s no secret that small businesses and their daily practices can be quickly changed by changing laws. That is one reason that it is important for business owners to stay aware of changes and potential changes to relevant laws. Recently, legislation was proposed which would once again change the day-to-day operations of many businesses – this time in the area of employees’ schedules.
In July of this year, Senators Rosa DeLauro and Elizabeth Warren among others introduced the “Schedules that Work Act.” This piece of legislation would require businesses with 15 or more employees to provide more predictability to employee schedules. Businesses would be required to offer “reporting pay,” also known as “call-in pay,” which refers to pay given to employees who report to work and find that there is no need for them that day as well as “split-shift pay,” which refers to pay given to an employee who is scheduled for two distinct shifts in a day separated by more than 1 hour. The law would also make it mandatory that businesses give 14 days’ notice for any changes to an employee’s schedule.
This proposed law also seeks to make employers more responsive to employees’ needs and requests. Businesses would be expected to “consider and respond” to any employee schedule requests. Requests made for certain reasons, including those of health, dependent care, secondary employment, or ongoing education, would require that businesses honor such requests “unless a legitimate business reason precludes it.”
While this proposed legislation does not currently have the support needed to become law, it is wise for business owners to be informed of what the future may hold. For more detailed information about the legislation (HR 3071), see this article.
The existence of legislation like this demonstrates the value of having a reliable payroll service like The Payroll Department to partner with. The professionals at The Payroll Department are committed to staying informed about any new laws that might affect your payroll operation. We know that small business owners are responsible for knowing about all the issues that might affect their businesses, and we love being able to shoulder a small fraction of that burden by taking care of your payroll accurately and in a manner that complies with all applicable laws. Contact us at 317-852-2568 to see how we can help.
-Jessica of The Payroll Department Blog Team
