Heather Curtis

WMAL.com

WASHINGTON — (WMAL) Some say retailers and restaurant owners in D.C. aren’t giving employees enough advanced notice about their schedules.

Rasimani Diggs works at the Marshalls in Columbia Heights. She was one of many to testify at a D.C. Council committee meeting Wednesday in favor of a proposed law (the Hours and Scheduling Stability Act of 2015) that would require large retailers and restaurants to give employees their schedules at least 21 days in advance or face penalties.

Diggs said at Marshalls, “They post the schedule a day or two before the week starts, but it can change at any time.” She told the committee her inconsistent schedule makes it difficult to work a second job and schedule her time off. Others said getting schedules last minute leaves employees unable to arrange child care or go to school.

What some said would benefit workers, others argued would be a burden for those running businesses.

Interim CEO of the D.C. Chamber of Commerce Margaret Singleton said the proposed law doesn’t include a transition period for employers to adjust to the new requirements.

“We are also concerned that the 21 day requirement notice does not provide much flexibility,” Singleton said.

Mike Whatley, the director of state and local affairs for the National Restaurant Association, added the law, unlike a similar one in San Francisco, does not include exceptions for bad weather or power failures, so employers would be penalized for changing schedules when circumstances happen that are beyond their control.

Council Member Vincent Orange said this issue isn’t going away and implored the groups representing businesses to work with his committee to come up with a reasonable way to address schedule inconsistency.

He also pointed out that many restaurants and stores in the District are not large enough to be subject to the proposed law.

(Photo: wcsmith.com)