United States: the City of New York adopts a series of measures to improve the plight of fast food and retail workers

Mayor of New York, Bill de Blasio, kept his campaign promise to adopt measures that aim to improve working conditions for retail and fast food employees. The Fair Work Week includes five laws that were passed by New York City Council and signed into law by the Mayor at the end of May. 65,000 workers could benefit from the new regulations. While US unions struggle to gain ground in terms of unionization and collective bargaining, they are much more effective at lobbying local authorities, as this New York example shows.
Enjoy this article for free while you’re in your trial period
You have access to our content for 1 month.

These laws were adopted so that workers could better plan their work schedules, more easily find a second job, or strike a better work-life balance.

  • The first law applicable to the retail industry prohibits the practice of on-call scheduling, cancelling work shifts, or requiring workers to work with fewer than 72 hours notice, unless that employee has already given written consent for the same. Employees are also to contact their employers to confirm their schedules within 72 hours prior to sta
Do you have information to share with us?
What you absolutely must read this week
The essential content of the week selected by the editorial team.
See all
France: Decathlon introduces a ‘duty to respect others’ right to disconnect’
A right-to-disconnect agreement was signed in late September for the French arm of the Decathlon sports retail group. It sets out a "duty to respect others’ right to disconnect" and provides...
14 November 2025
Bulgaria: government proposes 12.6% minimum wage rise for 2026
On 30 October, the Bulgarian government proposed a 12.6% increase in the minimum wage to take effect from 1 January 2026. This increase was determined according to the usual mechanism, as Bulgaria...
14 November 2025
EU: right and far right join forces in parliament to dismantle sustainability due diligence
On 13 November, the European Parliament approved the report by EPP MEP Jörgen Warborn on the proposed omnibus directive, clearing the way for trilogue negotiations. Backed by the far right, the...
13 November 2025
France: TotalEnergies steps up commitment on disability
On 9 October, French energy group TotalEnergies and all representative trade unions signed a new four-year agreement on disability inclusion. Taking effect on 1 January 2026, the deal aims to help...
Most viewed articles of the month on mind HR
What readers clicked on the most last month.
What readers clicked on the most last month.
1
Germany: pensioners in work already common practice, study shows
As the German government steps up measures to encourage people to stay in work beyond the legal retirement age, a new study by the Institute of Economic and Social Research (WSI) – an independent...
2
Spain: government approves creation of ‘intern status’
The Spanish government has paved the way for the creation of a new status for "persons undergoing non-professional practical training in companies, institutions or public or private organisations...
3
France: social conference on labour and pensions to proceed without main employers’ group
The preparatory meeting ahead of the social conference on labour and pensions, which is set to decide on the pension system model and the funding thereof, was held on 4 November at France's labour...
4
Luxembourg: two pension reform bills submitted to parliament
After lengthy negotiations with the social partners, in mid-October the Luxembourg government submitted two bills to parliament aimed at reforming the pension system to ensure its long-term...
5
France: TotalEnergies steps up commitment on disability
On 9 October, French energy group TotalEnergies and all representative trade unions signed a new four-year agreement on disability inclusion. Taking effect on 1 January 2026, the deal aims to help...
6
Candice Guillot (Talan): “Our recruiters save just over 80 hours per year on administrative tasks thanks to AI”
Candice Guillot, group director of employee experience and HR performance at Talan (7,000 employees), outlines for mind RH her vision and strategy for introducing artificial intelligence at the...