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Fair Workweek in Philadelphia

Philadelphia is one of the US cities with a predictive-scheduling (Fair Workweek) ordinance that covers certain retail and food employers. Below is what it asks of a store manager every week — advance notice, predictability pay, and rest between shifts — and how Schedaddle flags each one as you build the schedule. This is general information, not legal advice.

Last reviewed: June 2026

Philadelphia’s Fair Workweek Employment Standards Ordinance covers retail, hospitality, and food-service employers with 250+ employees and 30+ locations worldwide. Alongside predictability pay it carries a right-to-rest premium — a flat $40 when an employee works a shift with less than 9 hours’ rest after the previous one.

What Philadelphia's law requires

Advance schedule notice
14 days before the work week
Rest between shifts
9 hours minimum before a premium applies
Rest / clopen premium
A flat $40 premium when an employee works with less than 9 hours of rest between shifts (the "clopen" rule), unless they consent in writing.
Predictability pay
Predictability pay: 1 hour of pay for each shift the employer adds or changes inside the notice window, and 50% of the lost hours when the employer cancels or shortens a posted shift.
Who it covers
Retail, hospitality, food service with ≥250 employees + ≥30 locations worldwide.
Citation
Philadelphia Fair Workweek Employment Standards (Code Ch. 9-4600)

Rules referenced from Philadelphia Fair Workweek Employment Standards (Code Ch. 9-4600); verified 2026-06 (web). Thresholds and amounts change — verify against the current ordinance.

How Schedaddle handles Philadelphia as you schedule

Pick Philadelphia in Settings and the scheduler applies this ordinance's 14-day notice window, 9-hour rest threshold, and predictability-pay rules. As you build the week it flags, live: a schedule posted with too little notice, close-then-open shifts under the required rest hours (with the premium owed), and the predictability pay you may owe when you change a posted shift inside the notice window — calculated from a version-stamped record of every edit.

The Smart Shift Builder de-prioritizes clopens and treats availability as a hard constraint, so there are fewer violations to begin with. Advance publishing with app and email notifications, plus a change log, give you the documentation trail Philadelphia's recordkeeping rules expect.

Honest about the limits. Schedaddle flags and estimates — it is not a substitute for legal advice and does not evaluate whether your store meets Philadelphia's coverage test. It surfaces the obligation; you and your counsel confirm what you owe.

Other Fair Workweek jurisdictions

OregonNew York City (fast food)New York City (retail)San FranciscoChicagoSeattleLos Angeles

Philadelphia Fair Workweek FAQ

Does Schedaddle support Philadelphia's Fair Workweek rules?

Yes. Pick Philadelphia as your jurisdiction in Settings and Schedaddle applies this ordinance's 14-day advance-notice window, 9-hour rest threshold, and predictability-pay rules — flagging short-notice posting, insufficient-rest "clopen" shifts, and the premium you may owe on changed shifts. These are estimates to act on, not legal advice or guaranteed compliance.

How much advance notice does Philadelphia require?

Philadelphia's Fair Workweek ordinance requires the written schedule to be posted 14 days ahead of the work week. Schedaddle flags a week posted with less notice, and the auto-scheduler is built to draft a complete week well before the deadline.

What if my store is under Philadelphia's coverage threshold?

You may not be legally covered (Retail, hospitality, food service with ≥250 employees + ≥30 locations worldwide.). You can still switch the rules on in Settings to offer the same protections — advance notice, rest between shifts, predictability — to your team as a voluntary policy. Schedaddle does not evaluate coverage for you; confirm applicability with the ordinance or counsel.

General information current as of 2026, not legal advice. Verify current rules with your jurisdiction or employment counsel.

Schedule Philadelphia with the rules built in.

Pick Philadelphia and Schedaddle flags short-notice shifts, insufficient rest, and the predictability pay you may owe — right as you build the week.

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