Measure in Legislature Would Restrict Employee Scheduling

A measure introduced today in the 2019 Legislature would limit the ability of employers in retail and food service industries to reschedule their employees, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.

State Rep. Ana Hernandez (D-Houston) has introduced a bill that would require that all hourly workers of food service and retail companies receive notice of their work hours at least two weeks in advance.This is one of several proposals being floated by the labor groups that circulated petitions to get the new mandatory sick day pay law approved by San Antonio City Council.

Hernandez' bill would require that employees receive extra pay if their schedules are changed within two weeks of the start of the shift, and that extra pay would increase if the schedules are changed within 24 hours.

The bill only covers firms which have 500 or more employees in Texas and at least ten locations, so it is clearly targeted at chain fast food establishments and retailers like Walmart and not at locally owned small businesses.

The larger Democrat minority in the Legislature will be targeting workers rights in the upcoming session.  Several measures have already been introduced to raise the state's minimum wage.  Texas is one of only twenty states which now still peg its minimum wage to the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour.


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