There has been much discussion across the nation about raising the minimum wage, which would have a big impact on independent retailers (see Minimum Wage, Maximum Concern). Lawmakers in the state of Oregon are now considering additional legislature that would have a trickle-down effect on smaller shops, although at the moment it is aimed at large retailers.  

According to an article in The Oregonian, Oregon could become the first state in the nation to mandate work schedule predictability for certain food service, retail and hospitality workers.  “We heard from employees that due to unpredictable schedules, they had an extremely difficult time making plans to take care of basic needs, for example making doctor’s appointments, planning child care, etc.,” Senator Kathleen Taylor, D-Portland said. “We also heard from those that testified that it is difficult to improve your life without a more predictable schedule, for example taking a class or securing an additional job.”

Many stores rely on part-time workers, and are seeing an increase in younger employees.  A study by the University of Chicago showed that of early career workers ages 26 to 32, 41% of workers reported they did not know their schedule more than a week in advance and 74% did not know how many hours they would work in a given week. This means that these employees do not have a dependable, predictable income.

As employers, we need to recognize the importance of a predictable work schedule before we are forced to do so by law.  We know that our employees are individuals with other commitments in their lives, and we have the ability to make a commitment to respecting their time and the need to be able to predict their schedule and their income. 

How do we do this? I would suggest that setting a basic schedule that doesn’t vary from week to week would be a great start. Employees can volunteer for additional shifts during time that will be unusually busy, or when other staff members need time off — but their basic schedule will stay the same.

In addition, in our store we find it useful to use an alternate weekend schedule, so that most of our staff members only work every other Saturday or Sunday.  We recognize that many family activities take place on the weekend, and have found that this schedule is more appealing for many employees than working every weekend. 

If someone wants to work both the “A” and “B” weekend, we welcome that.  But we allow our employees to  help set their own schedule, based of course on our needs.  The University of Chicago study mentioned above also mentions that large proportions of both full-time workers and part-time workers say that their employer determines their work schedule without their input.  If we want to attract employees to work in retail — which can be a real challenge today —  we need to recognize the importance of offering schedule predictability and the opportunity to help determine what that schedule will be.

Happy Retailing,

Carol “Orange” Schroeder