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New Laws for 2014: Retail Workers' Bill of Rights (San Francisco)


California certainly is on a roll, no?  First San Francisco and Oakland voters approve an increase in minimum wage in both cities over the coming years.  Now, we have the Retail Workers' Bill of Rights which is a comprehensive set of policies introduced as two different pieces of legislation.  

The Board of Supervisors in San Francisco has tentatively (and note, unanimously) passed both pieces of proposed legislation this week.  At this point, a confirmation vote is scheduled to occur today, November 25, and if the legislation passes, it will become law within 180 days after the effective date. 

It is important to highlight key pieces of both pieces of legislation, ahead of the confirmation vote.  


Board of Supervisors File No. 140880:  Hours and Retention Protections for Formula Retail Employees:
  • Applies to Formula Retail employers with 20 or more employees in San Francisco (Formula Retail are businesses with at least 20 retail sales establishments worldwide).
  • These employers would have to offer additional hours of work to current part-time employees before hiring new employees or using subcontractors; and
  • Retain employees for 90 days upon sale or other transfer of a retail establishment subjection to the ordinance and then make a written offer of employment to individuals on a retention list under the same terms of employment with respect to job classification, compensation, and number of hours worked


Board of Supervisors File No. 141024:  Fair Scheduling and Treatment of Formula Retail Employees:
  •  Under this piece of legislation, Formula Retail employers would have to provide their employees in San Francisco with:
  1. An initial estimate of the employee's expected minimum number of scheduled shifts per month and the days and hours of those shifts, prior to the start of employment; 
  2. Two weeks' advance notice of work schedules;
  3. Advance notice of any changes to the employee's bi-weekly schedule;
  4. Additional compensation for each schedule change the employer makes on less than seven days' notice; and
  5. Between two and four hours of pay, depending on the duration of the shift, for each on-call shift for which the employee is required to be available but is not actually called into work.

Additional information can be found here:  http://retailworkerrights.com/get-the-facts/

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