Why are supermarkets allowed to open all day on Sunday now?

[Denise34]

Just been past Tesco and noticed that they are now open from 6am to midnight on sundays! Has there been a change in the law?

germy yes my DP 'chose' to work in a supermarket

And novak explain how??

I hope you all enjoy your thrilling shopping trips late Sunday evenings!

You mean why and I gladly will once you explain your point instead of just you are mistaken.

asda aren't using forced labour now are they?

But how much choice does someone have if that's the job they can get and they need the money, germy? That's the point.

norvak - Stealth move to push their theocratic agenda

I'll say again you are mistaken.

And no germy they are not but if he decided he wanted to finish at 4 like he used to he would be out of a job.

Or what LRD said.

Well if you are posting on MN you are not really resting are you

i understand what you are saying (i worked for the public sector and worked many an unsociable hour) but i do think we need to look to open supermarkets and shops for normal hours on a sunday.

many people work shifts and sunday is sometimes the only day they can get out. i sympathise that changing hours suddenly isn't on but imagine they could staff it with williing employees for the longer term.

Why should shops be shut until Jan 2nd? Thankfully most of the country is back to normal on 27th December this year.

I can see both sides of it germy, but I don't know if it'd extend to Christmas - it'd be really hard to get willing employees there I think, unless the pay were better.

Are you affected by the shops being open on a Sunday?

We are all affected by a change in working patterns as it crosses over into other jobs.

My DP used to work in Warehousing (TJ Hughes) he didn't return to work until the 28th and normal working patterns couldn't start again until after New Year, so if the shop ran out of something, it couldn't be restocked, there was noneed toopen Boxing Day.

Warehousing has changed dramatically and if you want a job you have to be available from really early to late, which rules out anyone who needs to pay for childcare.

This adds to unemployment figure's for LP's etc.

asda aren't using forced labour now are they?

No, but you have to be available to work all shifts, on a rota, in a lot of cases, so the traditional workers (women), are being edged out of the workforce.

Also to work some of the shifts, you need a car, because outside of London, the transport systems are non existent on a Sunday, but most Warehousing is on agency on Min wage and supermarkets only a £ above.

vaga I am resting actually. I'm sitting down watching the. closing ceremony mnetting on my phone.

Germy shops are open 24 hours a day every other day of the week. There is plenty of time to shop. My DP was not willing to work later on a Sunday but he had too. There is no choice. As there isn't a choice at Christmas.

That's a very good point birds.

Surely the best option is to employ others to cover these extra hours? Many people are desperate for a job at the moment.

If one is in a contract for a certain amount of hours, then as long as they work those hours, then they can't be fairly sacked for saying no to being asked to work overtime.

I think it is a good idea, but rather than forcing others to work longer, they should employ more in to cover the extra shifts. A lot of people would be grateful, and don't have families to go off on day trips out.

Having different trading hours on a Sunday is bullcrap. Fine if individual people don't want to work, but large shops should be able to open when they want as long as they can staff them. I think it's stupid to limit people's activities under the delusion that Sunday is different from other days.

finding people willing to work outside normal hours is bloody hard

people that rely on childcare cannot physically work those shifts
people that have weekend access to their children cannot work those shifts
people that have caring responsibilities cannot work those shifts

and lets face it, most people don't want to work those shifts for £6.08 an hour

we are working the extra hours, no additional budget to pay staff so the existing hours are spread across a longer day

we opened until 6pm today, normally shut at 4, and after 4 we had 2 customers!

most of the weekend workers here are student who can work those hours and shifts and need the money

I have had a vaccancy for 20 weeks

not enough hours to claim tax credits
weekend working
permanent job

no one wants it!
we are not a student town
high unemployment
had 1 guy turn it down because he was better off on benefits!

Yes, but germy you couldn't institute one rule for towns with universities and one not, could you?

i'm not from a university town though! i mean students in sixth form or colleges

but then you have the issue around age related sales -they have to be supervised and it's a PITA

plus quite often they don't pass the selection criteria because their mum comes in and asks on their behalf as they don't have the confidence to answer selection tests etc appropriately

Well, same thing - what about places without those?

And indeed, age-related sales.

really? the students at hours are quite savvy, it seems a win win situation, surely there must be some (older) people willing to work sundays. i know i wouldn't mind, neither would my dp