More than half of roles could be hit and young shop workers in particular could lose out, trade body warns
More than half of retail jobs could be affected by reform to guaranteed working hours, making it harder for shops to employ people – particularly young workers – in part-time roles, the industry’s lobby group has warned.
From April, the Employment Rights Act will introduce new protections for workers on sick pay, sexual harassment, parental leave and trade union recognition.
Further rights to guaranteed hours for those currently on zero or “low hours” contracts, flexible working, payment for short-notice cancellation of shifts and barring fire-and-rehire practices in most circumstances are due next year.
However, the government has yet to decide the maximum number of hours in a low-hours contract and the period of weeks over which regular working patterns can be assessed in order to decide guaranteed hours.
The British Retail Consortium (BRC), which represents most big UK retailers, says guaranteed hours protections should only apply to contracts of eight hours a week or fewer, and the reference period to be at least 26 weeks – or ideally a full year. It says this would better reflect seasonal working patterns and ensure reforms address genuine problems without undermining jobs.
Helen Dickinson, the chief executive of the BRC, said: “Flexible retail jobs are a vital part of how millions of people are able to stay in work. As the UK’s largest private sector employer,...
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