How far in advance should you post a work schedule?
Federal law sets no minimum: the US Department of Labor says the FLSA has no provisions on scheduling employees except certain child labor rules, so an employer may change hours without prior notice unless an agreement says otherwise. Oregon and several cities do set a minimum for covered employers, 14 days in most of them and 72 hours for New York City retail.
If none of the laws below covers you, the notice period is your choice. The table shows what the laws require, so you can see what a 14-day standard looks like in practice.
Required notice by place
| Place | Who is covered | Minimum notice | Pay for late changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | Retail, hospitality and food service employers with 500+ employees worldwide | 14 calendar days before the first day on the schedule | 1 extra hour at the regular rate for added or moved shifts; half the regular rate for each scheduled hour lost (Oregon BOLI) |
| New York City, fast food | Chain establishments that are one of 30+ nationally | 14 days (336 hours) before the first day on the schedule | $10 to $75 per change (NYC DCWP FAQ) |
| New York City, retail | Retail businesses with 20+ employees selling consumer goods in NYC | 72 hours before the first shift on the schedule | No on-call shifts; no cancellations with under 72 hours' notice (NYC DCWP) |
| Chicago | 7 industries incl. retail and restaurants; 100+ employees globally (restaurants: 250 employees and 30 locations); employees earning up to $33.85/hour or $64,945.55/year | Advance notice required | 1 hour of predictability pay for any shift change within 14 days (Chicago OLS) |
| Philadelphia | Retail, food and hospitality employers with 250+ employees and 30+ locations worldwide | 14 days | Predictability pay for schedule changes (Philadelphia notice) |
| Los Angeles (city) | Retail businesses with 300+ employees globally | 14 calendar days before the work period | 1 hour at the regular rate for an increase over 15 minutes; half the regular rate for hours cut (LA Office of Wage Standards) |
| San Francisco | Formula retail with 40+ establishments worldwide and 20+ employees in the city | Two weeks | 1 to 4 hours of pay depending on notice and hours changed (SF OLSE FAQ) |
This is not a complete list of local laws. Details for each law are in predictive scheduling laws explained.
Counting 14 days
NYC's fast food FAQ defines 14 days as at least 336 hours before the first day on the work schedule. Example: a schedule that starts Monday, December 7, 2026 must be out by Monday, November 23, 2026 (December 7 minus 14 days).
What a late change costs: NYC fast food example
| Notice before first day of schedule | Hours added | No change in total hours | Hours reduced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Less than 14 days | $10 | $10 | $20 |
| Less than 7 days | $15 | $15 | $45 |
| Less than 24 hours | $15 | $15 | $75 |
Example: for the schedule starting December 7, a shift added on November 27 (10 days ahead) costs $10; a shift cut on December 1 (6 days ahead) costs $45. Amounts are per change, from the NYC DCWP fast food FAQ dated 9/15/2023.
If no law applies: a posting rule you can copy
- Pick one posting day, for example every Thursday.
- Post the schedule for the week that starts 11 days later (Thursday to the Monday after next), so staff always see about two weeks ahead.
- Freeze approved time off before you build the schedule.
- Log every change after posting with the date it was made, so you can count late changes per month.
- Keep each posted version; DOL Fact Sheet #21 lists work and time schedules among records to keep for two years.
The retail weekly schedule template has the grid to post. Assistlify publishes a weekly schedule to the team's phones in the browser, and staff request time off from their phone before the schedule is built; more in the FAQ.
This is general information, not legal advice. Check your state labor department for current rules.
This is general information, not legal advice. Check your state labor department for current rules.
Questions
Is there a federal law on how far in advance I must post a schedule?
No. The DOL says the FLSA has no provisions on scheduling employees except certain child labor rules, and an employer may change hours without prior notice unless an agreement says otherwise.
How many days' notice does Oregon require?
Covered employers (retail, hospitality and food service with 500+ employees worldwide) must post schedules at least 14 calendar days before the first day on the schedule, per Oregon BOLI.
How much notice do New York City retail stores have to give?
72 hours before the first shift on the schedule, for retail businesses with 20 or more employees selling consumer goods in NYC (NYC DCWP).
Can I change a schedule after posting it?
Federally yes; under fair workweek laws late changes cost extra, for example $10 to $75 per change for NYC fast food or one hour of predictability pay in Chicago.
Sources
- US DOL elaws FLSA Advisor: When can an employee's scheduled hours of work be changed? (checked 2026-11-12)
- Oregon BOLI: Predictive Scheduling (checked 2026-11-12)
- NYC DCWP: Fair Workweek Law in Fast Food FAQ (dated 9/15/2023) (checked 2026-11-12)
- NYC DCWP: Retail Workers' Rights page (checked 2026-11-12)
- NYC DCWP: Fair Workweek Law in Retail FAQ (dated 4/1/2022) (checked 2026-11-12)
- City of Chicago Office of Labor Standards: Fair Workweek (checked 2026-11-12)
- City of Philadelphia: Fair Workweek Notice to Employees (effective April 1, 2020) (checked 2026-11-12)
- City of Los Angeles Office of Wage Standards: Fair Work Week information (checked 2026-11-12)
- San Francisco OLSE: Formula Retail Employee Rights Ordinances FAQ (published August 5, 2015) (checked 2026-11-12)
- US DOL Fact Sheet #21: Recordkeeping Requirements under the FLSA (revised July 2008) (checked 2026-11-12)