In July 2025, many Southern California retailers can expect changes to their staff scheduling and employee experience.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to require retail businesses to provide their employees with various protections related to their work schedules and working hours starting on July 1, 2025. This is a Fair Workweek predictable scheduling ordinance very similar to the one that the City of Los Angeles has had in effect since April 2023 but this new ordinance applies County-wide.
The LA County Fair Workweek ordinance introduces new compliance challenges to retail businesses. These laws can be complicated and, in this article, we’ll answer the most common questions we hear from businesses about Fair Workweek. Read on for the essential details.
What is Fair Workweek?
Fair Workweek laws, also known as Predictable Scheduling or Secure Scheduling laws in other parts of the country, are a set of labor laws designed to protect the work-life balance and financial stability of hourly workers through more fair scheduling practices.
These ordinances intend to give employees stable weekly schedules with fewer last-minute changes, which means predictable paychecks and less stress when planning life outside work. For relevant LA County employers, these are the main requirements they need to meet to stay compliant.
Provide every employee with a Good Faith Estimate of their regular work schedule;
Provide every employee with written notice of their work schedules at least fourteen days before the first day on the schedule;
Open shifts and hours must be offered to current employees before hiring new workers;
Predictability pay for changes to the work schedule must be paid in addition to the employee’s wages;
Employers are no longer allowed to schedule an employee to work less than ten hours from the last shift without written consent and paying a premium; and
Employers must retain all records showing compliance with these requirements for current and former employees for a period of three years.
Those familiar with the City of LA’s ordinance might notice a few key differences the County of LA is adding.
Employees can request employers not to post their schedule if they have a substantiated safety issue;
Employers to retain records of how to calculate predictability pay;
The county will provide certain templates to assist employers; and
The county ordinance will impose an administrative fine for “substantially deviating” from the good faith schedule estimate provided upon hire.
Which businesses are affected, and what does it mean for my business?
All retailers with at least 300 or more employees worldwide who have employees in the County of Los Angeles must comply with the new Fair Workweek law. This ordinance applies to employees who work at least two hours a week for a covered employer.
In light of this ordinance, retail businesses in Los Angeles County should review their scheduling operations and policies before these upcoming requirements are live next summer.
How can my business simplify compliance?
When it comes to managing complex scheduling laws such as Fair Workweek, which have high financial risks, it’s crucial to reduce human error. Businesses can reduce the risk of major fines by having software in place to track compliance with the law, provide guardrails for managers, and simplify tasks like premium pay calculations.
Deputy’s scheduling software helps businesses stay on top of Fair Workweek requirements and provide their employees with fair, predictable schedules.
Contact one of our experts today to learn more about how Deputy can help you simplify compliance with Fair Workweek requirements and positively impact your workforce.
