Today, Silicon Valley Rising (SVR) filed the Opportunity to Work Initiative which would require employers to offer qualified part- time employees the opportunity to work additional hours before hiring new part-time or temporary employees. It is the first initiative of its kind in the country. Although San Francisco and SeaTac have adopted similar ordinances, no previous initiative has aimed to provide part-time employees access to more work hours.
The measure will help workers get access to available work hours so their paychecks cover the bills and put food on the table. It will help prevent employers from hiring new part-time workers instead of giving more hours to current employees simply to avoid paying health insurance or other benefits. And it will ensure that women who are qualified hourly workers, yet statistically receive fewer hours than their male counterparts, have access to more work.
Underemployment is a crisis in Silicon Valley and is placing working families in devastating financial instability. Employees want to work more, but without access to more work hours, their ability to support their loved ones is limited.
The Opportunity to Work Initiative is a major step toward ensuring that the working families in Silicon Valley earn enough to not only meet their basic needs, but thrive.
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