Gap and Target among 13 stores probed for hourly wage practices
http://money.cnn.com/2015/04/13/news/gap-target-new-york-worker-shifts/index.html
New York's attorney general is investigating several major retailers, including the Gap, Target and Sears, on how they schedule their hourly wage workers.
The office of attorney general Eric Schneiderman sent letters last week to 13 retail chains asking for information about their so-called "on call shifts," where employees are given very little advance notice on what hours they will be working.
Workers find out if they are scheduled for work just hours or the night before the start of a shift. If they are told to stay home, employees are not paid.
Such erratic schedules make it difficult for employees to manage their family needs such as child care or school schedules, according to the letter. It says workers on these shifts "experience adverse financial and health effects, as well as overall stress and strain on family life."