Retail Stores Changing On-Call Scheduling Practices

Retail stores are slowly beginning to change their on call scheduling for employee work schedules, after facing scrutiny.

The latest changes were announced by Gap, which recently stated that their on call work scheduling would end across its five brands: Athleta, Banana Republic, Gap, Intermix, and Old Navy.

On call scheduling is a system where employees are required to be ready to work their shift but may have the shift canceled due to low customer demand or a slow day at the store.

These on call work schedules wreak havoc on employees’ lives both professionally and personally. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, almost 50 percent of part-time hourly workers between the ages of 26-and 32 are given less than a week’s notice for their upcoming work schedule.

This effects their ability to schedule their lives. Employees subject to on call work have difficulty scheduling additional activities due to their unpredictable work schedule, including child care, education, hours for a second job, or time with family.

According to the global president for Banana Republic, Andi Owen, the company’s attempts to phase out on call scheduling started at the beginning of the summer of 2015 and the company hopes to have eliminated the practice by this September.

The above named brands are working to provide their employees with at least 10 to 15 days notice for their upcoming work schedules.

All the Gap Inc. brands are working to phase out the on call scheduling by the beginning of 2016.

CA Retail Worker On Call Lawsuit Investigation

California employment law attorneys are currently looking for potential plaintiffs to bring retail worker on call lawsuits. According to different employment law attorneys, on call scheduling may be in violation of California on call labor laws.

Employers mandate that their employees remain available for shifts they may not ever get paid to work. In some situations, employees are required to call in to their employer a few hours before the beginning of their shift to determine if they should bother to show up for work. If the store is having a slow day the employee’s shift is canceled and the employee’s hours are reduced without pay.

Whether or not an on call lawsuit should be brought is a decision that should be made on a case by case basis with the advice of a legal professional.

Workplace law attorneys are familiar with the California labor statutes and have a better understanding of which cases have a better chance for success within the court system.

It’s possible that potential plaintiffs will have the opportunity to bring an on call scheduling lawsuit individually or as a member in a class action lawsuit.

Lawsuits brought individually often give the plaintiff more autonomy over their case, while class action lawsuits allow plaintiffs to spread the costs of litigation between the members.

Awards and settlements from successful lawsuits help hold companies accountable for their actions and help to develop and increase rights of other employees in the state.

Lawsuits like these allow retail workers to take action against their employers for participating in unfair and illegal employment practices.