State & Local Government Policy, Business and Technology

New York City Council Debates Ideas for Improving Contingent Jobs

Stateline: The New York City Council is considering a package of bills aimed at improving jobs for contingent workers in food service and retail, part of a push by policymakers across the U.S. to adjust to a changing labor market.

As more Americans work part-time or take non-traditional jobs as freelancers, temporary agency workers, independent contractors or on-call workers, state and local lawmakers are proposing ways to make contingent work more stable and ensure workers have access to benefits.

Most of the six proposals being debated in New York address on-call scheduling, a practice that makes work hours unpredictable. One proposal, for instance, would ban on-call scheduling for retail employees and prohibit employers from giving workers less than 20 work hours over a two-week period.

Read article