Los Angeles Fair Workweek Law: what employers must do
California · effective since 2025 · covers Retail
The short version
Los Angeles County's Fair Workweek Ordinance (effective July 1, 2025) requires large retail employers in unincorporated LA County to post schedules 14 days in advance, pay one hour of predictability pay for employer changes (half rate for hours cut), give 72 hours' notice of open hours to current staff, and keep 10 hours between shifts.
Below: the advance-notice window, predictability-pay formula, access-to-hours rule, coverage threshold and penalties — each with a dated source.
Not sure these apply to your business? Run the free coverage checker →
The five obligations
Advance schedule notice · 14 days
Covered retail employers must give 14 days' advance notice of an employee's work schedule and provide a written good-faith estimate of the work schedule at hire (and within 10 days of a current employee's request). An employee may decline any shift change made with less than 14 days' notice; if they consent, the consent must be in writing.
Predictability pay · 1 hour added; ½ rate for hours cut
For each employer-initiated change made less than 14 days before the work period, the worker is owed one hour of pay at their regular rate for a change that does not reduce hours (a change in time, date, or location), and one-half their regular rate for each hour lost when the change reduces scheduled hours.
Access to hours · Yes — 72 hours' written notice of open hours to staff first
Before hiring new employees, an employer must offer additional work hours to current qualified employees, giving at least 72 hours' written notice of the available hours, provided the extra hours would not trigger overtime.
Who is covered · 300+ employees worldwide (retail), unincorporated LA County
Applies to retail businesses with 300 or more employees worldwide, covering retail employees who are minimum-wage-eligible and work at least two hours per week in the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. (The City of Los Angeles has a separate retail Fair Work Week ordinance effective April 1, 2023, also keyed to 300+ employees globally.)
Penalties for non-compliance · Up to $50/day for withheld predictability pay + administrative fines
An employer that violates the ordinance may owe restitution and penalties to each affected employee, and may be liable to the County for a penalty of up to $50 per day that predictability pay is unlawfully withheld, plus additional administrative fines for other violations.
Rest between shifts / “clopening”
An employer may not schedule shifts less than 10 hours apart without the employee's consent.
The part the vendor guides bury
There are two Los Angeles Fair Work Week regimes employers conflate: the LA COUNTY ordinance (effective July 1, 2025, unincorporated county, retail 300+ employees) covered here, and the separate CITY of Los Angeles Fair Work Week Ordinance (effective April 1, 2023, also retail 300+ employees). Which one applies turns on whether the worksite sits inside city limits or in unincorporated county territory — confirm the worksite's jurisdiction before relying on either.
Building the schedule this applies to?
Lay out the rota first with our free, no-signup employee schedule maker or a weekly schedule template — then post it inside Los Angeles's advance-notice window so you never owe predictability pay.
Frequently asked questions
How far in advance must employers post schedules in Los Angeles?
Covered retail employers must give 14 days' advance notice of an employee's work schedule and provide a written good-faith estimate of the work schedule at hire (and within 10 days of a current employee's request). An employee may decline any shift change made with less than 14 days' notice; if they consent, the consent must be in writing.
What is predictability pay in Los Angeles?
For each employer-initiated change made less than 14 days before the work period, the worker is owed one hour of pay at their regular rate for a change that does not reduce hours (a change in time, date, or location), and one-half their regular rate for each hour lost when the change reduces scheduled hours.
Which employers does the Los Angeles fair workweek law cover?
Applies to retail businesses with 300 or more employees worldwide, covering retail employees who are minimum-wage-eligible and work at least two hours per week in the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. (The City of Los Angeles has a separate retail Fair Work Week ordinance effective April 1, 2023, also keyed to 300+ employees globally.)
What are the penalties for violating the Los Angeles fair workweek law?
An employer that violates the ordinance may owe restitution and penalties to each affected employee, and may be liable to the County for a penalty of up to $50 per day that predictability pay is unlawfully withheld, plus additional administrative fines for other violations.
Sources
https://dcba.lacounty.gov/fairworkweek/
https://wagesla.lacity.gov/fair-work-week-information
https://www.govdocs.com/predictive-scheduling-laws-what-employers-need-to-know/
This page is cited public information, not legal or compliance advice. Whether the Los Angeles fair workweek law applies to you depends on your industry, headcount and locations, and the ordinance changes. Always confirm current obligations with the jurisdiction before posting schedules.