Board of Supervisors Move to Establish County Fair Workweek Employment Protections for Retail Workers

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Today, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a motion authored by Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell and co-authored by Supervisor Lindsey Horvath that sets Los Angeles County on track to establish a Fair Workweek ordinance requiring employers with 300 or more workers in unincorporated Los Angeles County to provide standard protections that include but are not limited to proper time off, control over schedules, and anti-retaliation measures.

 “Nearly 77% of retail workers receive less than one week notice of their schedules making it difficult to plan appropriately for their families and lives. Our retail workers remain on the frontlines of serving our community and have been demanding these protections long before we faced the COVID-19 pandemic. This motion gets us closer to passing an ordinance that will create a more equitable workforce and help remove income instability that can lead to unemployment and poverty” shared Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell

“Many retail workers struggle to meet family obligations because they receive their work schedules just days in advance, and find themselves closing out one night, and opening up only a few hours after. During the pandemic, LA residents came to better understand how reliant we are on our retail workforce, and how much we owe them. Retail workers deserve two weeks’ advance notice of their work schedule, adequate rest between shifts, and additional compensation if they are asked to accommodate last-minute work schedule changes. This proposed ordinance will establish that equitable baseline and demonstrates our appreciation for the working people of our county” said Supervisor Lindsey Horvath.

Over the last decade the Board of Supervisors have been committed to protecting workers. Most recently, in November of 2021 the Board of Supervisors adopted a motion to establish the Office of Labor Equity (OLE) within Department of Consumer and Business Affairs. The establishment of OLE has led to the enforcement of critical worker protections including the County’s Minimum Wage, Temporary Hero Pay and Preventing Retaliation for Reporting Public Health violations ordinances.

The motion calls for County Counsel in collaboration with the Department of Economic Opportunity and Department of Consumer Business Affairs to report back to the Board of Supervisors in 6-months with a Fair Workweek Ordinance for adoption.

To read the full motion, click here.