The saga of on-call scheduling just keeps going. Last month, we reported that, in response to pressures from the New York Attorney General’s office, Abercrombie & Fitch and Victoria’s Secret were putting a halt to their practice of requiring retail employees to be on-call for shifts. Now another well-known retailer also owned by L Brands (which owns Victoria’s Secret) has announced a similar decision. Bath & Body Works will no longer require employees to show up for shifts or check in to find if they are needed, only to risk being sent home if the stores are not busy. The New York Attorney General lauded the move, noting that “Employees deserve stable and reliable work schedules to adequately plan for childcare, transportation, and other basic needs.” Thus, of the 12 retail chains warned about the potential illegality of their on-call practices, one-quarter have reversed their policies. It seems unlikely that the others could be far behind.

 

Source: Lauren Weber, The Wall Street Journal, September 8, 2015