For San Francisco Retail Workers, A Bill Of Rights

The San Francisco bill of rights for retail workers will take effect on January 1, although it will not become operative until July, so employers will have time to determine how to best comply with “this onerous and extensive legislation,” says a client alert from Drinker Biddle & Reath. The law applies only to companies that have 20 or more employees in 20 or more locations worldwide, and only to a “Formula Retail Establishment,” as defined, in San Francisco. The definition is wider than some might assume, as it includes hotels, restaurants, bars, movie theaters, certain financial institutions, and certain kinds of contractors that could include janitorial and security services. Among the law’s provisions: that employers  offer additional hours of work to current part-time employees before hiring new employees, and that workers be paid for “on-call shifts,” meaning that workers who are required to be available but are not called to work will need to be paid, pro-rated according to a formula specified in the law.