This post was written by Candace Chewning, Outreach and Communications Director for the Office of Benefits and Wage Compliance.

Fair Workweek: Where are we in the regulations process?

On November 18, the City hosted a public hearing on the draft Fair Workweek regulations to address comments submitted during the open comment period—October 4, 2019 through November 4, 2019. In addition to those who submitted comments, other members of the public attended the hearing and spoke, including advocates and business owners. 

Currently, the Mayor’s Office of Labor is developing a report to respond to the comments from the open comment period and from testimonies during the public hearing. After the report is finalized, the City will edit draft regulations to reflect decisions made in the report. Upon their completion, the Mayor’s Office of Labor will make both the report and the final regulations public. The final steps in the process should be completed by mid-to-late December. 

Fair Workweek effect date postponed to April 1, 2020.

Due to the short amount of time between the anticipated posting of final regulations and January 1, 2020—the law’s original  effect date—updated regulations will announce that the effect date of the law will be postponed until April 1, 2020. The Fair Workweek law requires covered employers to provide “good faith estimates” of average work schedules to existing employees. The final regulations will also state that the “good faith estimates” requirement will not be enforced until July 1, 2020. 

What can I do?

While you’re waiting for the final regulations to be posted and for the law to go into effect, you can:

Look out for our next blog on what steps employers can take now in order to be in compliance by the new effect date—April 1, 2020.

 

Learn more about the Mayor's Office of Labor and resources available to Philadelphia workers.