The state’s largest business group and Republicans on the Legislature’s budget committee want to make it easier for employees to work seven days a week. But critics, including one Democratic state lawmaker, question whether it would really be voluntary.
State law requires a day off during every week worked at manufacturing and retail jobs. Currently, the only way around the requirement is to get approval from the Department of Workforce Development. But last week, GOP members of the Joint Finance Committee added language removing that requirement as one of several last-minute changes to the state budget proposal.
Chris Ready from Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce supports the changes. He said getting approval from DWD has not been hard for businesses to do, just burdensome.
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“At least over the last five years, they’ve basically rubber-stamped them 733 times,” he said.
But Rep. Katrina Shankland, a Stevens Point Democrat, disagreed with that logic.
“If every single request to the Department of Workforce Development has been approved, why is this law needed?” Shankland said, calling the proposal a giveaway to big business.
WMC said there are laws to protect workers if they feel they’ve been intimidated into working seven days a week.
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