NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) — New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced Dec. 20 that six major retailers have agreed to stop using on-call shift scheduling after an inquiry by a multistate coalition of attorneys general.

On-call shifts involve employees calling their employers, usually a couple hours before they are supposed to attend work, to see if they will be scheduled to work or not. According to Schneiderman’s office, as many as 50,000 workers nationwide will benefit from this policy change.

“On-call shifts are not a business necessity and should be a thing of the past," Schneiderman said. "People should not have to keep the day open, arrange for child care, and give up other opportunities without being compensated for their time. I am pleased that these companies have stepped up to the plate and agreed to stop using this unfair method of scheduling.”

The six companies that agreed to stop the practice are Aeropostale, Carter’s, David’s Tea, Disney, PacSun and Zumiez. These companies were among 15 large retailers that received the coalition’s inquiry.

"This latest announcement shows the sweeping positive impact that Attorney General Schneiderman's actions have had on the lives of people working in retail,” said Carrie Gleason, director of the Fair Workweek Initiative at the Center for Popular Democracy.

By Mark Iandolo

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