Assessing the Impact of Fair Workweek Legislation on Franchisees

In today’s business climate, franchisees are under increasing pressure to meet the demands of an ever-changing workforce and to comply with strict legislation that calls for more scheduling reliability for its workers.

While these laws are generally viewed as a win for workers rights, the complexity of putting these laws into practice for employers is often overlooked.

Implementing Fair Workweek legislation can prove to be difficult as it requires additional layers of administration and employer oversight. Now 
 in just a short period of time, employers in several parts of the country (New York City, San Francisco, Emeryville, Seattle, and Oregon state) must shoulder the burden of enacting all requirements of the legislation in order to be compliant with the laws.

Legal requirements include visible posting of notices, a minimum of two week’s advanced notice of scheduling changes, and electronic record keeping. The penalties for non-compliance include fines that can quickly add up and impact profitability along with the business’ reputation.

While working through these regulations can prove challenging, one item of note is that employee-initiated shift swaps are not governed by this legislation.  Shifts posted by employees who choose to request coverage on shifts they are unable to work are exempt from the two-week advance notice requirement. Apps such as Shyft facilitate this type of worker flexibility, allow for manager approval, and create the electronic records necessary for compliance.  Shyft’s app is far more practical than other methods such as Facebook groups or text messages and has been proven to reduce callouts and no-shows.

The time savings Shyft provides to managers who previously would have had to get on the phone with the location manager or send a group SMS has a direct impact on a location’s ROI.

Additionally, compliance with these laws — though challenging — can, in turn, increase employee morale and improve recruitment and retention.  This means reduced investments in staffing, hiring and training.

Franchise owners have a lot of obstacles in managing their business and relationships with their corporate partners. Staffing and scheduling is only one component of the demands they must overcome in order to run a sustainable business.  Simply put, Shyft can alleviate scheduling headaches and lighten the additional workload brought on by Fair Workweek legislation.  

At Shyft, our aim is to reduce labor inefficiencies and facilitate legislative compliance while empowering frontline workers.  Upon finding the app that can do it all, franchisees can breathe a little easier.