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Part-Time Worker Bill of Rights Act
12/30/2022, 4:18 AM
Summary of Bill HR 6699
Some key provisions of the Part-Time Worker Bill of Rights Act include:
1. Guaranteeing part-time workers the right to request a more predictable work schedule from their employers. This would allow employees to better plan their personal lives and finances. 2. Ensuring that part-time workers have access to the same benefits as full-time employees, such as paid time off, health insurance, and retirement savings plans. 3. Prohibiting employers from discriminating against part-time workers in terms of pay, promotions, or other opportunities for advancement. 4. Requiring employers to provide part-time workers with advance notice of their work schedules, to help them balance their work and personal responsibilities. Overall, the Part-Time Worker Bill of Rights Act aims to address the challenges faced by part-time workers in the US and ensure that they are treated fairly and given the same opportunities as full-time employees. It is currently being debated in Congress, with supporters arguing that it is necessary to protect the rights of part-time workers, while opponents raise concerns about the potential impact on businesses and the economy.
Congressional Summary of HR 6699
Part-Time Worker Bill of Rights Act
This bill modifies various employment, leave, and pension rules with respect to part-time workers. Specifically, the bill removes the requirement that employees work a minimum number of hours during the preceding 12-month period before becoming eligible for family and medical leave.
The bill also sets the maximum length of service on which employers may condition the eligibility of part-time employees for a qualified pension plan (e.g., 401(k) retirement plan). Except as required by an applicable collective bargaining agreement, such service requirement may be no longer than two consecutive 12-month periods of at least 500 hours of service for part-time employees who have reached the age of 21 by the end of such periods.
The bill further prohibits employers of more than 15 employees from setting disparate terms of employment or working conditions for part-time employees, including with respect to compensation, notice of work hours, and promotion opportunities, among others. Additionally, the bill requires such employers to offer available, qualified part-time employees additional work hours before hiring new employees for such hours. Among other enforcement methods, employers must maintain three years of records for offers of additional hours and employee responses to such offers. The bill also provides a private right of action for employees to enforce the nondiscrimination requirements of this bill.
