The New York Times this morning reports that Gap says it will stop the practice of on-call scheduling, which requires employees to be available for shifts without actually paying them for the time - a practice that make it impossible for part-timers to get second jobs, and that "regulators, workers’ rights groups and some academics say is detrimental to employees and their families."
The Times writes: "Facing public and regulatory pressure, some retailers, including Abercrombie & Fitch, Starbucks and Victoria’s Secret, have already begun phasing out the practice.
"Gap said its five brands — Athleta, Banana Republic, Gap, Intermix and Old Navy — had agreed to stop on-call scheduling by the beginning of next year and have committed to providing employees with at least 10 to 14 days’ notice, according to Wednesday’s announcement."
The story notes that "a recent study by the Economic Policy Institute, a liberal advocacy group, found that the children of parents who worked unpredictable schedules could have inferior cognitive abilities, in areas like verbal communication, and struggle with anxiety and depression."
The Times writes: "Facing public and regulatory pressure, some retailers, including Abercrombie & Fitch, Starbucks and Victoria’s Secret, have already begun phasing out the practice.
"Gap said its five brands — Athleta, Banana Republic, Gap, Intermix and Old Navy — had agreed to stop on-call scheduling by the beginning of next year and have committed to providing employees with at least 10 to 14 days’ notice, according to Wednesday’s announcement."
The story notes that "a recent study by the Economic Policy Institute, a liberal advocacy group, found that the children of parents who worked unpredictable schedules could have inferior cognitive abilities, in areas like verbal communication, and struggle with anxiety and depression."
- KC's View:
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I talked about this practice last week in "FaceTime," and I'm glad to see that there seems to be some movement away from it. It is an unconscionable practice by lazy retailers who are building sales on the backs of employees in a way that ultimately will be unsustainable.
