Part-Time Worker Bill of Rights Act
Sponsored By: Senator Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA]
Introduced
Summary
90-day FMLA eligibility would be the bill's core change. It would also bar discrimination against employees scheduled for fewer hours and set rules for scheduling, availability, and pay for part-time staff.
Show full summary
- Families and workers — Employees would qualify for Family and Medical Leave Act protections after 90 days of service instead of after 12 months and an hours threshold. That means more people could take job-protected leave sooner.
- Part-time and temporary employees — Employers could not treat jobs differently just because they are shorter or fewer hours. Employers must get a written statement of each worker's desired weekly hours, give current employees priority to those hours, and pay an existing employee when a new hire works hours the existing employee had offered, with narrow exceptions.
- Employers and federal agencies — The rules would apply to entities with more than 15 employees and certain federal employers. The Secretary of Labor and designated federal bodies would issue matching regulations within 180 days and would have investigatory and penalty powers to enforce the law.
Your PRIA Score
Personalized for You
How does this bill affect your finances?
Sign up for a PRIA Policy Scan to see your personalized alignment score for this bill and every other piece of legislation we track. We analyze your financial profile against policy provisions to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 2 mixed.
FMLA eligibility after 90 days
If enacted, you would be eligible for Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave after 90 days of service with your employer. This would replace the prior 12‑month and 1,250‑hour rules. The change would take effect one year after enactment.
Penalties, remedies, and employer coverage
If enacted, the Secretary of Labor would be able to investigate complaints, seek conciliation, bring civil actions, and assess civil penalties for willful and repeated violations. Penalties would range from $500–$1,000 per violation for some rules and $1,100–$5,000 for others, and those amounts would rise each year with CPI‑U. You would be able to sue in state or federal court for unpaid wages, benefits, interest, and liquidated damages equal to damages plus interest unless a court reduces them for employer good faith. Employers would have to keep records for at least 3 years. The bill would count a person who employs more than 15 people (including full‑time, part‑time, and temporary workers, and aggregated franchise groups) as covered, and several federal actors would have 180 days after enactment to issue matching rules. You would generally have 2 years to file a claim, or 3 years for willful violations.
Priority scheduling for part-time workers
If enacted, employers would have to get a written statement from you at hiring that says how many hours you want and when you can work. You could change that availability in writing at any time. Employers would have to offer you the hours you listed before hiring outside workers. If a new hire works hours you listed, you would be paid for each such hour unless you lack required qualifications, the hour would trigger overtime pay at 1.5× the regular rate, the employer could not reach you after a reasonable attempt, or you were otherwise unavailable. The bill would also bar firing or cutting hours for using these rights or for complaining.
Free Policy Watch
You just read the policy. Now see what it costs you.
Pick a topic. PRIA runs your household against live legislation and sends you a free personalized readout.
Pick a topic to get started
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA]
MA • D
Cosponsors
Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ]
NJ • D
Sponsored 12/17/2025
Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA]
MA • D
Sponsored 12/17/2025
Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA]
CA • D
Sponsored 12/17/2025
Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI]
RI • D
Sponsored 12/17/2025
Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT]
VT • I
Sponsored 12/17/2025
Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA]
WA • D
Sponsored 12/17/2025
Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI]
WI • D
Sponsored 12/17/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.govTake It Personal
Get Your Personalized Policy View
Take the PRIA Score to see how policy affects your household, then upgrade to PRIA Full Coverage for year-round monitoring.
Already have an account? Sign in