"I just wish all non-food stores were closed on Boxing Day as well as Christmas Day. We can live without clothes shopping for 2 days and wait for sales." We're also perfectly capable of coping without food shops being open for 2 days too. We certainly did for decades before this was the case.
I shop once a week even the rest of the year. If you think ahead and plan really no reason why 2 days of shops being closed would be a problem.
"They do get extra, don't they?? Thought everyone did on a bank holiday" very few workers now get "anti social hours" pay. Certainly very very few of those in low paid jobs. (Who arguably need it more as transport & childcare can be a nightmare expense for those hours too)
"I'm old enough to remember when the January sales started in January (and there was no Sunday trading and we got Boxing Day off)" me too.
Can anyone tell me when extra pay for Sunday & bank holiday working stopped being a requirement? I'm sure it used to be. I've tried googling but am only getting how the law is now.
"Surely that is illegal to threaten someone with dismissal if they call in sick?" Not if they're not sick - and even if they are there aren't nearly the same protections there used to be. If they're on zero hours contracts, are forced to pretend to be self employed etc they're stuffed!
It's only through mn I've learned many employment rights that used to apply after 1 months employment now don't until you've put in 2 YEARS! When did that come in? A quick google suggests 2012. Why have people especially unions actually accepted that? It's outrageous!
Workers rights have been absolutely decimated in this country seemingly with little protest! And I think it likely to get much worse post brexit.
"Unions need to make a come back." And do their job!!
"Hospitality and retail are not unionised"
www.bfawu.org
join.unitetheunion.org
www.usdaw.org.uk
"Not that you can get legal aid for that now, anyway." A huge travesty!
"Unfortunately if you work in retail / hospitality it kind of comes with the territory that you have to work “shifts” which include Xmas hours.
Just like nurses, paramedics, police.... can’t just expect the world to stop for a day." Ffs this bullshit came up on the Sunday hours thread! Shops are NOT essential! Emergency services are - completely different circumstances!
"This country has its priorities all wrong." Totally agree.
I worked for a major supermarket (no longer around) in late 80's, as did many of my friends and they worked for some of the few that are still around. We closed mid afternoon Christmas Eve & re-opened 28th Dec - unless that was a Sunday or a deferred bank holiday due to Christmas or Boxing Day or both falling at the weekend - so potentially shops closed for 4 days! People coped! They planned ahead and they managed.
Isn't there a name for making people work without properly compensating them? 🤔
I've also worked in hospitality, healthcare & residential care. Got paid double time for Sunday's, bank holidays & overtime in hospitality (90's) and time & half for residential care, enhanced pay in healthcare but was lucky enough that the people doing the rotas had no time for the "Christmas is for kids" bollocks and apportioned Christmas & new year shifts fairly across all staff. I hear it's become much worse though.
Personally I think all that needs to be covered Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Eve & New Year's Day is emergency services, utilities in case of emergencies (I'm sure that can be done with ltd staff), healthcare, residential care, community carers
I'm on the fence on hotels, I'd prefer it wasn't needed so those staff could have time off but with so many of us now living away from "home" out of necessity it's nice if people can stay somewhere near home to see family at this time. BUT they should be well compensated for working those days.
"This is what happens when you let the Tories smash the Unions." Exactly! I think a lot of people have forgotten or never knew that unions are WHY we have equal pay laws, discrimination in employment laws, wage laws, laws on being off work sick, health & safety regs (though they're wrongly mocked) etc they fought for those and while arguably they're not always enforced properly that's not down to unions. We'd be so much worse off without them - I'd strongly recommend people educate themselves on what things were like before unions got these things changed. Employees were literally worked to death! Were expected to work in highly dangerous, toxic environments and with poisonous materials etc.
"the military services" very few uk located military work over Christmas/new year actually. My ex & dad if not deployed were usually off pretty much in line with schools - sometimes longer. Salaried so no difference in pay. Sometimes they were rostered on to do guard duties but it's pretty much skeleton staff at most barracks.
"you have to provide a sick note even if you're officially on self cert days. It's probably illegal to demand that" not only that but it means people are using dr appointments, at the height of winter sickness season, when they're unnecessary in terms of healthcare. So putting extra pressure on nhs.