Those who have ended one shift and immediately started another are not strangers to what is sometimes referred to as “clopening” in service industries.
New Proposed Bill in Massachusetts Will Affect Scheduling Procedures for Thousands of Employers
Those who have ended one shift and immediately started another are not strangers to what is sometimes referred to as “clopening” in service industries.
It is a practice that has long allowed both employers and employees schedule flexibility, yet some workers say the practice leaves them feeling overworked and unable to complain to their managers for fear of retribution.
A scheduling bill introduced to the Massachusetts legislature this year could make “clopening” a thing of the past, along with employers’ longstanding ability to change employees’ work schedules at the last minute.
The bill, presented by Rep. Sean Garballey of Middlesex county, would mandate that employers give workers:
- 11 hours between shifts.
- 3 weeks’ advance notice for schedules.
- A pay rate of time and a half whenever employees are called in before 11 hours have passed between shifts.
Similar legislation is being considered in California, Maryland, Indiana, and the District of Columbia. In 2014, Starbucks changed its scheduling, putting an end to the “clopen shift” forever. In Minnesota, House Minority Leader Paul Thissen is pushing for provisions that control scheduling as part of the larger Working Parents Act. If it passes, the following changes could come to the workplace:
- Employees can opt out of shifts with fewer than 11 hours of rest between them.
- Employers would be required to post work schedules three weeks ahead of time.
- Workers will be paid if a shift is cancelled or changed less than 24 hours before it is supposed to start.
Ineffective employee scheduling directly impacts labor costs, productivity, and an organization’s ability to operate within budget. When an organization does not have the right scheduling tools, it cannot avoid unnecessary overtime or find the most suitable employee to fill open positions. As a result, some employees are over-scheduled, while other employees are under-scheduled, and vacant positions are left unfilled. This creates cost overruns, lowers operational efficiency, reduces the quality of service, and threatens the future of organizations when there is little room for error. For more information on effective scheduling solutions, contact MITC today.