Board clears amendments to Retail Workers Bill of Rights; duplicates file sent for additional review

San Francisco — The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a package of amendments to the city's Retail Workers Bill of Rights on first reading, changes intended to tighten the ordinance and clarify employer and employee obligations.

Supervisor Eric Farrell, the legislation's lead, said the amendments refine the ordinance to ensure it applies to large formula retailers (raising the threshold from 20 to 40 locations), extend certain collective-bargaining clarifications to property-service contractors, and add a short grace period for employers before monetary penalties can be levied while rulemaking proceeds. The package also clarified employee-notification procedures for extra hours and closed a scheduling loophole by expanding predictability pay to on-call shifts adjusted with less than seven days' notice.

"These amendments strengthen our current policy and provide common-sense reforms to what we passed out last year," Farrell said. Supervisor John Marr and others praised the collaborative process that included labor, community organizations and business representatives.

Supervisor London Breed proposed a separate amendment seeking to exempt movie theaters from the advanced-scheduling requirements, arguing that studios set film schedules on short notice and theater operators would be unable to comply. That amendment was duplicated into a separate file and the duplicated file was sent to the Budget Committee for further review and public comment; the underlying package of amendments moved forward.

The underlying ordinance passed unanimously on first reading. The duplicated file — which would carry more substantive changes including the theater exemption — was directed back to committee so the public could comment on the proposed substantive amendments.

Why it matters: The Retail Workers Bill of Rights governs scheduling and predictability for part-time retail employees. The amendments approved on first reading refine the law’s scope and procedures while the duplicated-file process preserves an opportunity for wider public input on any substantive carve-outs.

Next steps: The amendments will return for a second reading as required; the duplicated file will be scheduled for Budget Committee review and public comment before the board considers any substantive exemptions.