Rep. Gary Hebl, (608) 266-7678
(MADISON) – Today Gary Hebl (D-Sun Prairie) began circulating a bill aimed at protecting Wisconsin workers from unfair scheduling practices. The bill, LRB-0153, will ensure consistent and reliable work schedules for workers by requiring employers to consider employee requests to change their schedules as well as provide schedules two weeks in advance. Hebl says this will allow workers to plan ahead and make arrangements for life’s other responsibilities, such as child care, other jobs, or educational needs.
“We are trying to take a proactive approach to make sure that Wisconsin workers are treated fairly,” Hebl said. “I think most employers have good relationships with their employees and will probably be unaffected by this bill. Nevertheless, we want works to have access to predictable, fair work schedules. If they don’t have to worry about constantly changing work schedules or fluctuating income, they can focus on other needs in their lives, such as taking care of their family, their educational goals, or taking care of their own health.”
Based on the “Schedules That Work Act” introduced in Congress by Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), the bill’s goal is to protect low-wage workers from unfair scheduling practices, such as scheduling workers for “on call” shifts (in which a worker does not know whether or not they will actually end up working), scheduling “split” shifts, and sending workers home early when the business is having a slow day. They also want to make sure that employers don’t use scheduling as a way to harass or punish workers. Hebl said that the need to protect workers is why he decided to adapt the federal bill for Wisconsin.
“Workers deserve protections from abusive scheduling practices that are meant to punish or harass,” Hebl continued. “Not only will this bill protect workers from these kinds of abuses, it will also ensure that these employees have more certainty about their income and their work schedules.”
