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Colorado Legislature

House Bill 1118, Fair Workweek Scheduling Bill

Position: Oppose

Broomfield Area Chamber Board of Directors has voted to oppose HB 1118, the “Fair Workweek” bill, as it is currently written.

HB 1118 imposes broad new regulations and restrictions on how employers manage employee workweek schedules and pay. While we, as a Chamber, can appreciate what the measure is attempting to do in protecting workers in certain industries, we agree with others in opposition that this measure, as written, will not only lead to costly new restrictions on employers in the hospitality industry, but also health care providers, public entities like schools, social service providers, and more.

We feel the bill fails to recognize the core business and operational needs of unpredictable industries. For many companies that are frequently faced with irregular workloads and demand, flexibility is a critical aspect of day-to-day business. If passed, HB 1118 would make it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to adapt to these regular changes by adjusting employee schedules according to need. It’s simply not feasible to require that businesses set in stone employee schedules 2 weeks in advance, when anything from weather conditions, unexpected absences, or other unforeseen emergencies could drastically alter staffing needs.

We do believe that the needs of employees need to be considered by employers, and we applaud efforts to make that happen. And while HB 1118 is well-intended, in reality, we believe it will lead to less flexibility, fewer jobs, and lower pay for workers – all while exacerbating the labor challenges already faced by businesses in the Broomfield Area and throughout Colorado, and increasing the cost of doing business across our state.

Updated 2/21/2023