Employees rights advocates and workers across many sectors, mostly in service industry jobs, are closely following both federal and state legislation that would be a huge win for some of the country’s most put-upon labor forces. If predictive scheduling measures are passed, employees will be required by law to treat employees with greater care in several industries with volatile work schedules.
Predictive scheduling fundamentally recognizes that the workers whose jobs are in industries such as food service are often subjected to incredibly difficult and unreliable scheduling, leaving their entire lives often at the whim of their employer. Too often, these workers are required to be available for working wildly erratic schedules that are both more draining than a standard nine-to-five job and also create immense barriers to maintaining a healthy life outside of work. Practically speaking, this is simply too much freedom for an employer to have over a worker’s life.
New Jersey is one of several states currently awaiting the passage of pending predictive scheduling legislation. Under such legislation, employers would be required to recognize employees’ need and right to have a consistent work schedule, both for time management and budgeting purposes. Employers would have to give employees increased notice of work scheduling and compensate employees for changed or cancelled shifts.
While predictive scheduling has yet to be made the law of the state, New Jersey workers are eagerly awaiting the arrival of this great step forward in employees’ rights. No matter what your line of work may be, you deserve to treated fairly and with dignity. If you believe that your rights are being violated, the guidance of an experienced attorney can help you stand up for your rights and the rights of others like yourself.
Source: Daily Business Review, “Could Predictive Scheduling Spread Across the Nation?,” April Boyer and Yamilet Hurtado, Nov. 08, 2016
