New research from Crown Family School Scholars
Study Evaluates Implementation of Fair Workweek Laws in Chicago, Seattle, and New York City
By Crown Family School
How are Municipal-Level Fair Workweek Laws Playing Out on the Ground? Experiences of Food Service and Retail Workers in Three Cities
A new research brief led by University of Chicago Crown Family School scholars Susan J. Lambert, PhD, Professor Emeritus, and Julia R. Henly, PhD, Samuel Deutsch Professor, with co-authors Resha Swanson-Varner, PhD, Research Associate (University of Chicago), Hyojin Cho, PhD (University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign), and Yuxi He (University of Chicago), examines how Fair Workweek (FWW) laws are shaping the scheduling experiences of retail and food service workers across three major U.S. cities. Fair Workweek laws were created to help stabilize work hours for lower-wage employees whose schedules are often unpredictable and difficult to manage.
Background: A Decade of Fair Workweek Legislation
The first municipal Fair Workweek law was enacted in San Francisco in 2015. Since then, ten municipalities and one state (Oregon) have adopted similar legislation, with additional jurisdictions exploring new protections for hourly workers. These laws primarily affect workers in service-sector industries where fluctuating hours and limited control over scheduling are standard.
Each Fair Workweek law includes provisions intended to improve predictability, stability, adequacy, and worker control, outlining when schedules must be posted, how changes may occur, and when compensation is owed for adjustments.
About the Study
To understand how these laws are functioning in practice, the research team conducted customized online surveys with 1,781 retail and food service workers in Chicago, Seattle, and New York City, as well as in adjacent areas not covered by Fair Workweek protections. Survey questions were tailored to reflect variations in administrative rules across the three cities, offering a detailed and comparative view of how the laws operate on the ground.
The study assesses the extent to which workers’ experiences align with legal requirements, and whether policy provisions are producing measurable differences between covered and uncovered worksites.
What the Research Reveals
The study highlights where Fair Workweek laws are showing promising effects and where significant gaps persist. Some provisions, such as compensation for schedule changes and more precise documentation of worker consent, appear to be working as intended. Others, including requirements related to advance notice and partial compensation for reduced hours, remain inconsistently implemented across cities. The findings also show that many covered workers are still not receiving the full protections outlined in the laws. Together, these insights point to opportunities for improved education, oversight, and enforcement to strengthen the reach and effectiveness of Fair Workweek regulations.
Implications for Policy and Practice
The research offers timely guidance for policymakers, labor advocates, and enforcement agencies seeking to refine scheduling standards for service-sector workers. By identifying where implementation is uneven and where administrative rules influence practice, the findings contribute new evidence to support more effective adoption, communication, and enforcement of Fair Workweek provisions.
About the Authors
- Susan J. Lambert, PhD, Professor Emeritus, University of Chicago
- Julia R. Henly, PhD, Samuel Deutsch Professor, University of Chicago
- Resha Swanson-Varner, PhD, Research Associate, University of Chicago
- Hyojin Cho, PhD, University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign
- Yuxi He, University of Chicago
Read the report, "How are Municipal-Level Fair Workweek Laws Playing Out on the Ground? Experiences of Food Service and Retail Workers in Three Cities. "