Abercrombie Promises to End Controversial “On Call” Scheduling (August 6, 2015)
By Sapna Meheshwari, Buzzfeed News
Abercrombie & Fitch has committed to stop the use of on-call scheduling in its U.S. stores, starting with an end to the practice in New York this year. The major policy shift comes roughly five weeks after a similar announcement from Victoria’s Secret, and represents a win for advocates who have been pushing retailers to provide more stable schedules for their part-time, low-wage employees.
Abercrombie shared its plans in an Aug. 5 letter to the New York state attorney general’s office, which contacted 13 national retailers in April for information on their use of uncompensated call-in shifts. Many of the nation’s biggest chains have ramped up their use of call-ins in recent years to save millions in staffing costs, drawing public outcry.