Workers in Chicago have rights with respect to their work schedule. A law called the Fair Workweek Ordinance gives certain protections. This article explains them. 

Which workers are covered?

Workers are covered by the law if they work in one of these industries:

• Building services,
• Healthcare,
• Hotels,
• Manufacturing,
• Restaurants,
• Retail, and
• Warehouse services.

Workers are not covered if they:

• Work ticketed events,
• Have collective bargaining agreements,
• Work for the City
• Make more than $26 per hour or $50,000 in a year,
• Work for an employer that’s not a restaurant and has less than 100 employees or less than50 covered employees, or 
• Work for a restaurant that has less than 250 employees or 30 locations. 

What rights do covered workers have?

Schedule changes

Employers must give workers estimated days and hours of work upon employment. 

Your employer must give you 10 days notice of your actual work schedule. You have the right to decline previously unscheduled hours without 10 days notice. This will increase to 14 days in 2022.

If you do agree to a shift change with less notice, you get one hour of Predictability Pay. .  Predictability Pay is the regular wage you earn.

If your employer cancels a whole shift within 24 hours of the start of the shift, you get half of what you would have made if you worked.

Rest

You have the right to rest. You can decline work hours if they start less than 10 hours after the end of the previous day’s shift.  If an employer does not get written consent from workers to work these shifts, the worker should be paid 1.25 times what they normally make.

This does not prevent employees from trading shifts. This law still allows for disciplinary actions. Employers can change hours without penalty if it is mutually agreed upon in writing.