To wonder why people are so protective of retail workers but not those who work in hospitality?

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A lot of people are horrified at the thought of weekend working for retail workers but they don’t care about the people who work in hospitality. So they don’t want shops open on Sundays because of family time and so much consumerism yet they will quite happily go out to cafes, amusement parks, historical places and the like ignoring the fact that all these places have to be be staffed and the workers are also being pulled away from their ‘family’

If you don't want to work certain hours/days then change jobs. I'm currently in an industry that is extremely exhausting - very long hours, long commute, weekend working, stressful job. I don't work in hospitality, the NHS, or retail. I am now looking to move across sideways after maternity to get a better work/life balance.

When I used to work in retail and hospitality there were pro's and con's to them. One being that I had days off during the week if I was working the weekend, another being that on Sundays I got paid a little extra.

Sundays. Christmas day. Bank Holidays.

Thousands of people work on these days... military, police, medical, emergency services, transport, food industry, hospitality...

Retail is just a small part of it.

Things like petting zoos/National Trust/theme parks need to open at weekends because school aged children can't go at any other time and they need to make money presumably.

People are not protective of retail staff. They say they don't agree regarding Sunday trading hours yet supermarkets are absolutely heaving on Sundays, customers are queuing up outside before store even opens every single week, then we always get someone mouthing off because we can't serve anyone until 10.00am.
As for picking and choosing days you want to work, what a joke.
This is why l roll my eyes when I hear people say they are going to get a nice little job in a supermarket. There is no such thing. You see human nature at its finest, greedy selfish customers and greedy selfish employers.

In my humble opinion, I'd be happy to see Sunday as a day of complete rest for everybody.

But that has never been the case and then you start running into caveats for essential workers, I'm sure you don't want the NHS to shut on a sunday, or nobody around monitoring water/electric/gas/digital network etc, I am sure you want the shops to be stocked on a monday morning, be able to be keep up with the news and watch tv.

It's the digital equivalent of harking back to what is perceived as a simpler time, where shops where shut all day Sunday and Wednesday afternoon and spend time as a family and maybe have a walk down the pub on sunday (which harks back to OP's point)

Sunday opening should be extended to reflect the world we are now in, and in my opinion, those that complain about mass consumerism should be open to having there internet access fully blocked on a Sunday.

As for picking and choosing days you want to work, what a joke.
This is why l roll my eyes when I hear people say they are going to get a nice little job in a supermarket. There is no such thing. You see human nature at its finest, greedy selfish customers and greedy selfish employers.

I am a firm beleiver of bringing back conscription, not for military, but for customer facing roles, be that Retail/Hospitality or in my industry first line IT Help desk.

The general public of all sexes can be utter twats to deal with.

Firstly it isn't that easy to "just change jobs". And do what?

Secondly you mention being paid extra on Sundays. That has been done away with because "Sunday is a normal day". Ditto Bank Holidays. Now do you get it?

Oh in fairness quite a few people on MN seem to know people work over Christmas, or at least they do on the multiple threads each year where they berate childless people for wanting a bit of time off too because they aren't 'thinking about the children'

Admittedly 99% of those people don't actually work over Christmas themselves they just like to have opinions about people who should or shouldn't work

Yes it’s the same money on Sundays as any other day.
Days off in the week are great but assume not so much if you have school age DC or a partner that works 9-5 Mon-Fri.
Maybe change the DC and partner too.

I don't know Sparkling - I absolutely love having a day off to myself mid week whilst DH works and, when DC were younger, he got to do all the routine Saturday clubs, sports, chores with them whilst I was at work .

Depends on your family set up and if you want to see anything of them I guess. 😂

Oddly, I know nobody who is horrified about weekend working in retail. Including people who do it. Nobody is forced to work in retail, hospitality or anything else, but the weekend / evening / overnight shifts are often critical to struggling families with children who need more flexible working patterns.

Erm retail workers aren't generally in a position to pick and choose when they work

It depends on the retailer. And if the government did decide to allow unlimited Sunday opening, they could legislate for regular shifts at the same time. Retailers always used to give fixed shifts, so it's not hard.

In my humble opinion, I'd be happy to see Sunday as a day of complete rest for everybody the assumption is that everyone wants the hallowed "family time". Not everyone has a family and even if they do, they are quite happy to work Sundays. So maybe give people the choice?

What cafes are open after 5pm on a Sunday?

I guess people view it as a choice though. If you've gone into hospitality, you've done so knowing it's all week. If you've gone into retail, you've gone into it knowing Sundays are shorter hours/no hours.
I'm not suggesting everyone has the luxury of choosing the industry they work in. But I do think this may be a factor in people's views on it.

National Trust properties are largely staffed by volunteers except in the cafes, anyway. The fact that there are so many people willing to work for nothing at weekends, makes me think there are probably a lot of people out there willing to work for money at weekends.

I don't see why anyone cares. If you don't want to work weekends find a job that doesn't require it. Don't tell other people what they should and shouldn't be doing, or assume that everyone has perfect family set-ups.

In my humble opinion, I'd be happy to see Sunday as a day of complete rest for everybody

Yep - no more posting on MN on a Sunday for you eh? Give MNHQ staff the day off, it’s only fair.

Kept saying this in the other thread but stuff it, I’ll do it in this one too.

Yanbu. It is hypocrisy that the use of restaurants/cafes, food delivery or Amazon couriers amongst others isn't of concern.
I worked at a supermarket that closed on the 26th. We finished work just before midnight on the 24th- 8 hours after the store closed to customers.

Unfortunately retail workers generally don't get to choose when they work.
Zero hour/low hour contracts and an expectation that you will be available at all times to work if required.
No childcare? Tough
No transport on Sundays due to bus and train timetables? Tough.
You want to attend your grandads funeral? Well, we aren't heartless wankers, you can have the morning...

Threads like this really make me angry.

All those saying the store employees can pick and choose when they work and it should be allowed as people may want weekend working...How many of you have actually worked in retail recently, if at all??

I worked in stores for 20 years. I was a store manager for a big part of that time. Only staff who's contract is specifically for weekends have choosen to work them. The rest of the staff, be it full time or part-time, have to work them too whether they want to or not.

When I started in retail, Sunday's had enhanced pay as well as bank Holidays. Now they don't. Boxing Day was shut, likewise Good Friday. Now the shops are open.

Retail staff that are currently employed have gone into it expecting to work some weekends and the upside to them, is that at least if scheduled for a Sunday, it's a shorter shift. If you changed the hours etc they would have no choice to opt out if they wanted to keep their jobs.

Hospitality staff know that their job involves far worse hours, likewise essential services staff. Retail staff have gone into it expecting to work X days and hours, yet people on here want them doing Y.

As for saying get a different job. Why should they have to? Why should their terms and conditions change? I bet you wouldn't like it if in an office job and were told now you have to work weekends!
And it really isn't easy to just change sectors. It took me 3 years to get out of retail and that was with a massive lot of management experience. It's like on the posts where people on 100k tell minimum wage staff to 'get a better job'.

In all my years in shop work, very few staff would have chosen to work weekends if they didn't have to.

It's not about protecting retail staff over hospitality staff. It's about not increasing the already long and unsociable hours the retail staff already work.

I'd tou work in leisure / hospitality you expect to work when most people have leisure

I have a professional (paid) management role in a charity. My role would usually be an Mon-Fri office hours type role but our volunteers do things at night and at weekends as well as through the week. So guess what, so do I.

But if retail workers accepted the job which means shorter Sunday hours, this is then changed how is that fair?

Don't kid yourself they'll get a choice.

There was no opting out.

Well that's not true. www.gov.uk/sunday-working

All shop and betting shop workers can opt out of Sunday working unless Sunday is the only day they have been employed to work on. They can opt out of Sunday working at any time, even if they agreed to it in their contract.
Shop and betting shop workers must:
give their employer 3 months’ notice that they want to opt out
continue to work on Sundays during the 3 month notice period if their employer wants them to
An employer who needs staff to work on Sundays must tell them in writing that they can opt out. They must do this within 2 months of the person starting work - if they do not, only 1 month’s notice is needed to opt out.

If you want the job you cannot opt out.

When interviewed you have to say you are available for weekend working due to the needs of the business.