Philadelphia’s “Fair Workweek” Ordinance Will Impose Scheduling and Hiring Restrictions on Large Retail, Hospitality and Food Service Establishments

On December 6, 2018, the Philadelphia City Council passed the Fair Workweek Employment Standards Ordinance, to become effective on January 1, 2020.1 Under the Ordinance, large retail, hospitality and food service establishments will be required to: (1) give existing employees the right of first refusal to work additional hours before hiring new employees; (2) post and provide advance written notice of work schedules; (3) provide predictability pay for any departures from the posted schedules; and (4) permit a rest period of nine hours between shifts. It is estimated that these new requirements will impact 130,000 workers in Philadelphia.