Yahoo Finance: Seattle Weighs New Rules For Businesses With Hourly Workers

Seattle has led the nation in mandating worker benefits, and the city has a new proposal demanding more. City leaders are recommending that businesses must schedule shifts two weeks in advance and compensate workers for some last-minute changes, according to a recent Yahoo Finance article.

The city has already tackled implementing paid parental leave for workers, mandate sick leave for companies, and was also the first to have a $15 hourly minimum wage.

Seattle's “secure scheduling” proposal requires retail and fast-food companies with 500 employees globally to provide a minimum of 10 hours of rest between open and closing shifts, offer hours to current staff before hiring new employees, and compensate workers if they are scheduled to work but are sent home early or don’t get called in.

"We want this to be a city where our workforce, the people who are keeping this place running, can afford to live here," said one of the bill’s sponsors, Councilwoman Lisa Herbold. "When people have more secure hours, they can do things that make the city more affordable, such as holding down a second job or going to school so they can get a better job."

Although the bill is receiving support from the mayor and city officials, many have criticized the city for the proposal claiming that if businesses can’t afford the predictability pay, they will simply operate with fewer employees on staff or provide fewer hours.