December 06, 2018
Philadelphia City Council passed the “Fair Workweek” bill, designed to give the city’s 130,000 service industry workers regular and consistent hours, with a 14-3 vote Thursday.
The bill, which hones in on the scheduling of workweeks for employees, applies to large employers, or those with more than 250 employees, with at least 30 locations across the country or state.
Introduced by Councilwoman Helen Gym this past summer, the fair workweek rules will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2020.
Employers will be required to set schedules at least two weeks in advance; to offer hours to existing employees rather than hiring new employees at lower rates; and to pay employees when shifts are canceled. It will also guarantee employees at least 11 hours of rest between shifts.
Thursday’s vote follows in the foot steps of other major cities across the country: New York enacted its fair workweek law in November of last year, and Seattle passed fair workweek legislation this September.
Philadelphia City Council also approved raising the minimum wage for city workers, and workers employed by contractors and subcontractors, to $15 by 2023.
The move was a big hit with plenty of Philadelphia residents:
#FairWorkweekPHL victorious! One more step toward economic justice https://t.co/THn9ba0DNM
— Mo Manklang (@MoManklang) December 6, 2018
Wow, Philadelphia Council just passed a major piece of anti-poverty legislation in passing the Fair Workweek bill, which regulates how workers in retail, fast-food, and hospitality sectors are assigned shifts. This is a major victory for workers. #FairWorkweekPHL
— Waqar Vick Rehman (@WaqarVick) December 6, 2018
Philadelphia, we have a Fair Workweek. #FairWorkWeekPHL pic.twitter.com/QEl7NKzVvg
— Helen Gym (@HelenGymAtLarge) December 6, 2018
Congrats to everyone who has been working tirelessly to get #fairworkweekPHL and #GoodCause legislation passed today in Philadelphia. This is a huge step in the right direction.
— The First Grandmaster of Chmess (@qunzhong_luxian) December 6, 2018
Philadelphia mayor Jim Kenney, who endorsed the bill this week, issued a statement following Thursday’s vote:
“I applaud members of City Council for their overwhelming approval today of two pieces of legislation that will help give working Philadelphians a chance to improve the quality of their family’s lives,” Kenney said. “The Fair Work Week and Minimum Wage bills will go a long way to ensuring that our hard-working residents have the dignity of stable employment and a steady schedule.”
