The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the issues working families have been facing for decades— unpredictable work schedules, fluctuating paychecks, and underemployment. These families struggle to meet basic expenses and to plan for childcare, meals, and medical appointments. Most notably, this pandemic has hurt working women and mothers, who are being forced out of the workplace at alarming rates, especially Black and Latinx women and mothers.

This is why Massachusetts Jobs with Justice, in partnership with Representatives Maria Duaime Robinson and Sean Garballey, and Senator Marc Pacheco, has filed An Act Relative to the Scheduling of Employees (HD1546/SD412), also known as The Fair Workweek Bill!

Act now by calling and emailing your legislators telling them to cosponsor the Fair Workweek bill before the deadline this Friday, and signing our petition!

The Fair Workweek Bill aims to give workers more control over their schedules, and their lives by giving employees who work in the restaurant, retail, and hospitality industries for a company with more than 50 employees worldwide the right to: 

✔ 14 days advance notice of hours

✔ Rest for 11 hours between shifts

✔ Request specific shifts without retaliation from their employer

✔ Deny on-call shifts without retaliation from their employer

✔ Be offered new shifts before new employees are hired to fill those shifts

✔ Apply for unemployment benefits if a worker quits their job because of their employer’s failure to comply with the bill

The deadline to cosponsor the Fair Workweek bill is THIS FRIDAY, so take action NOW to pass the Fair Workweek bill by:

1. Calling your legislator and ask them to sign on to co-sponsor the Fair Workweek Bill by following our step by step guide here

2. Fill out our quick and easy form to email your legislators

3. Sign our petition and learn more about the bill here

All workers deserve the chance to build stable lives for themselves and their families, but for many, erratic work schedules make stability almost impossible. Join Mass JwJ in calling on the legislature to protect working class families most affected by the pandemic and pass the Fair Workweek bill this session!