Bath & Body Works has decided to put an end to on-call scheduling in its U.S. stores next month, the Wall Street Journal reports.
This move comes five months after Eric Schneiderman, New York Attorney General, warned 13 retailers that on-call scheduling potentially violates a New York law that states employees are entitled to four hours of minimum wage pay for a scheduled work shift, even if they’re sent home. L Brands, parent company of Bath & Body Works, was one of the 13 retailers to receive Schneiderman’s warning.
On-call practices optimize profitability for companies, allowing them to save on payroll on slow days. However, they make employees’ personal lives and financial situations unstable. Workers are given very little notice, leaving them almost no time to make family arrangements or schedule another paying job for the day.
Schneiderman has commended Bath & Body Works on its decision to end the practice: “Employees deserve stable and reliable work schedules to adequately plan for childcare, transportation, and other basic needs.”
Other retailers have also recently decided to end this practice, and legislation has been proposed in more than 10 states to guarantee workers advanced notice about their work schedules.