Urban Outfitters in Huntington Station Ends On-Call Scheduling

Apparel retailer Urban Outfitters Inc has agreed to end on-call shifts for employees at all its New York stores, New York state’s Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said.

While any move towards predictable scheduling counts as progress, the decision by Urban Outfitters underscores how hard it is to implement fair workweek policies for the nation’s part-time, low-wage workforce. So far we have confirmed that two of the retailers we sent letters to do not utilize on-call scheduling.

The practice of on-call scheduling, which uses computer programs to shave time from schedules when things are slow but has workers come in a moment’s notice if they pick up, has drawn criticism from many quarters, including worker advocates, policymakers, regulators, and law enforcement agencies.

Urban Outfitters follows in the footsteps of five other major retailers that ended the use of on-call shifts, including Abercrombie & Fitch, Bath & Body Works, Gap, and Victoria’s Secret.

The Philadelphia-based retailer plans to phase in the change next month, Schneiderman said.

Urban Outfitters has also agreed to give employees their schedules at least one week before their work week starts.

The number of brands owned by those retailers outside their namesake chains is significant – they include Banana Republic, Old Navy, Athleta, Hollister, Anthropologie and Free People. “It’s a good roll”.