Proposed Bill Would Keep Strip Employers Rights to Schedule Workers As Needed

Have you heard the new buzzword in Olympia? It's called "secure scheduling," and you will hear about it this election season. Fresh off their drive to get a $15 minimum wage in Seattle and some other cities, Working Washington now wants to take away a business owner or managers right to schedule employees as they see fit.

We're not making this up. Working Washington was the big group behind the $15 wage in Seattle, now being cynically called "The Bankrupting Bill" by some business owners. Now, they're pushing legislation that would do the following:

• Restrict the amount of part-time employment offered by the business in place of full time jobs
• Enact a $15 minimum wage (for the 'test' city of Olympia)
• Impose a MANDATORY paid sick leave requirement on all businesses. Yes, even entry-level minimum wage workers would get sick leave, like professionals do.
• Would require all employers to schedule workers at least 21 days out, and adhere to that schedule, regardless of circumstances. Even if the business sees a slowdown period where they know they won't need as many people, they have to schedule accordingly.

The Washington Policy Center says this will severely restrict the flexibility needed for businesses, especially those who employ entry level, part time or minimum wage level workers.

Regardless if it only goes into effect in Olympia, Working Washington plans to try to eventually push this statewide through the legislature.