Dive Brief:

• Tuesday, San Francisco city supervisor Eric Mar will introduce the “Retail Worker Bill of Rights,” legislation aimed at giving part-time retail workers more work hours and more predictable schedules.

• If enacted, the law would require some 1,250 retail chain stores in the city to give more hours to their part-time workers before hiring more workers, to pay workers for last-minute cancelations of shifts or for being on call to work, and to boost part-time workers’ opportunities for advancement.

• The bill would apply to “formula retail,” which includes chain retailers, fast-food, and other chain restaurants, hotels, and banks. The proposal comes after city legislation last year that allows reasonable requests by retail workers for flexibility and predictability in their schedules.

Dive Insight:

Democrats in the U.S. Congress are considering rules like these that would give part-time retail workers some flexibility and extra pay for last-minute changes, but this bill in San Francisco, unlike that one, has a chance to pass. In addition to the debate over the minimum wage, which affects many retail workers, part-time working conditions in retail is emerging as a significant issue that many lawmakers are seeking to address.