Chicago Employers Must Plan for Phase-in of New Fair Workweek Ordinance This Summer!  

Starting July 1, 2022, Chicago employers covered by the Fair Workweek Ordinance (CFWO) face stricter limits on their ability to change certain workers’ work schedules, and on their ability to command workers to work heavy schedules without meaningful breaks between shifts. 

Specifically, covered workers may not be forced to work any scheduled hours for which they did not receive at least 14 days’ advance notice.  If they accept work scheduled after the 14-day deadline, they must be paid one hour of “predictability pay” for each shift that has been changed.  Changes to a shift include:

  • Adding/subtracting hours from a shift 
  • Changing the date and time for work – even when the number of hours scheduled remain static

Cancellation of work is also built into the ordinance.  Covered workers whose scheduled work hours are canceled with less than 24-hour’s notice also must be paid 50 percent of their regular rate of pay for any canceled work hours.  

Finally, covered workers are entitled to decline to work shifts that begin less than 10 hours following the end of the prior day’s shift or, if they agree to work the shift, they must be paid 1.25 times their base rate of pay. 

These are just some of the requirements imposed on covered employers under the CFWO.  If you’re an employer with workers who spend time working in Chicago, schedule a time to discuss with us your obligations under the CFWO.   


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Gary Savine is an Illinois employment lawyer and founder of Savine Employment Law, Ltd. in Chicago. Gary regularly advises human resources professionals on recently enacted employment laws.

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