12-09-2025
New York City’s Fair Workweek Law, in effect since 2017, requires fast food employers to give their workers regular schedules that remain consistent week to week. Employees must receive their schedules 14 days in advance, and employers cannot reduce the schedules by more than 15 percent without “just cause or a legitimate business reason.” (New York Times)
NYC workers had been complaining that Starbucks cut their hours and refused to give them predictable schedules. NYC’s Department of Consumer and Worker Protection concluded that the company violated the law more than half a million times since 2021. Starbucks “arbitrarily cut schedules and illegally prioritized their own profits over their workers’ rights” across approximately 300 locations. Mayor Eric Adams stated that the “landmark settlement” will put “tens of millions of dollars” back with the employees and reinforce the right to a “reliable schedule, full hours, and basic dignity.” City officials said it was the largest worker protection settlement in the city’s history.
Starbucks stated that NYC’s law was “notoriously challenging for businesses to navigate.” It said that the violations were “about compliance” and not about “withholding wages or failing to pay partners.” Some Starbucks workers have been striking to support higher wages in contract negotiations. Incoming Mayor Zohran Mamdani said that New Yorkers can expect him to back striking Starbucks workers after he takes office. He expressed his support for the city’s settlement, stating that “[these] are demands for decency,” and the workers should be treated with the respect that they deserve.
EPS recommends that employers stay up to date on laws and regulations impacting their localities and adjust processes accordingly.