Urban Outfitters joins retailers ditching on-call scheduling 鈥� for some workers
After New York Attorney General began questioning the legality of on-call scheduling earlier this year, Urban Outfitters joins a group of other retailers promising definite work schedules to their employees.聽
After New York Attorney General began questioning the legality of on-call scheduling earlier this year, Urban Outfitters joins a group of other retailers promising definite work schedules to their employees.聽
Philadelphia-based retailer Urban Outfitters Inc. has agreed to end on-call shifts for employees in its New York stores, the state鈥檚 Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said Wednesday.
Mr. Schneiderman wrote to 13 major retailers, including, Target Corp, TJX Cos Inc., and J.C. Penny Co Inc., questioning their practice of on-call shifts.聽
The practice requires workers to be available for scheduled shifts, although they may be canceled at a moment鈥檚 notice. Schneiderman suggests this may violate New York鈥檚 state labor laws and it could also be a violation of the state鈥檚 requirement to pay hourly staff for at least four hours when they report for a shift.聽
海角大神聽reported on the practice in September.
Some critics of "just-in-time" scheduling argue it hinders upward mobility, by preventing workers from adequately organizing their lives.
鈥溾�楯ust-in-time employment鈥� may make business models more efficient, but it may also create uncertainty that undermines the best laid plans of low-income Americans,鈥� Brookings fellow Richard V. Reeves wrote in 2014.
The solution?
Susan Scafidi, a law professor and the founder of Fordham鈥檚 Fashion Law Institute, suggests technology could help employers make the transition away from on-call scheduling.聽
Employers can use the same micro data, but instead of pinpointing staffing needs hour by hour, they can look at needs over the course of a month or year. 鈥淭his is a problem created by technology, and I think it鈥檚 a problem that can be solved by it,鈥� she told the Monitor in September. 聽
The Monitor also highlighted potential repercussions from the shift.聽
Schneiderman says Urban Outfitters agreed to provide New York employees with their work schedules at least one week in advance, starting in November. Other retailers that have recently reached similar agreements include Gap Inc., Bath & Body Works, Victoria鈥檚 Secret, and Abercrombie & Fitch.
This report contains material from Reuters and the Associated Press.