To think that Sunday trading hours need to be abolished?

[HFJ]

I remember the hullabaloo about Sunday trading back in the late 80s

Whenever I talk to people about this, many usually give the following reasons why Sunday trading restrictions are a good thing:

1. Everyone can have Sunday lunch/family time together
2. Retail workers can have some weekend time off

However, I can’t be the only person who thinks the above is BALONEY

On the family time thing, I object for feminist reasons because it usually means a hard-working woman somewhere has to peel potatoes and rustle up a Sunday lunch for everyone else. Then, when she has done all that, can she treat herself to an emergency handbag, pair of shoes, just get away and meet a friend for coffee, or perhaps get the family shopping in on before the working week starts? Can she heck. Why? Because of some Bishops in the house of lords decree that the world should shut and therefore her indoors should remain indoors.

On the weekend time off thing, I really don’t see what the issue is. There are plenty of students who would like to and need to work. Also, there’s nothing to stop religious workers asking their employer to prioritise time off on Sunday for them (just as Muslims, Jews, people with caring responsibilites can make requests).

Am I the only one who feels this way?

You'll find the majority of major retailers did away with Sunday premiums long ago

@WillowTit I don't think Sunday workers get extra on Sundays any more.
The company I worked for phased that out in circa 2003 ish. You only got it if you had been employed for previous years. Newer employees didn't.

@WillowTit anyone under about 35 working in retail has probably never got the "time and a half" Sunday pay.

I would assume the ships have looked into optimal opening hours and have decided 10-4 or 11-5 gets the most money spent.

I worked in retail, as did DH. It's shit. I have no problem with Sunday having reduced opening hours.

I hate Sunday hours. I work full time, I spend Saturday ferrying DC to clubs and I would love to go to the shops on a Sunday afternoon but most shops in my little town don't even open. I also struggle to do things like go to the bank or library because I'm working whenever they're open.

Which decade do you live in? That doesn't exist these days.

Speak for yourself. It would be a bad thing for me. We all don't have or want "family time" on Sundays. I haven't cooked a roast dinner in five years; our Sundays are used for DIY, errands to the extent possible, garden centres, meal prep for the coming week and other practical endeavours.

You don't get to define "need" for the rest of us. I work hard M-F and would prefer if the shops and services I "need" OR "want" are available to me on weekends. I'm not religious, don't need time in the morning to attend church and quite frankly find it discriminatory against people whose day of worship doesn't fall on a Sunday.

Retail hours should be set by supply and demand, not law.

Maybe all of those on "benefits" could be pressed into service to work Sundays, in return for all they are receiving from those of us who work M-F. There certainly are enough of them out there.

Well I would like to be able to go to the bank on Sunday. Or the solicitors. Or the doctors. Its the only day I have off work that I don't have the kids, as it's the only day they go to their dads. Should they open too?

Sure, if they feel there is enough potential custom to make it worthwhile. Why not?

I think the opposite of you and would rather they were shut all day on Sunday again.

Fair enough, but I'm not sure many people who work those jobs would be happy to have their hours changed so they had to work weekends. I'm happy to be proved wrong, but weekends are important to most people, especially parents of younger children, and they don't want to give them up.

Yes, there's people having their "down time" on a Sunday and wanting the shops shut all day or with restricted hours, because retail workers 'deserve' one day a week or family time or whatever else is said, but also don't have an issue with doing leisure activities on a Sunday and expecting people to be present to serve them and make that happen, same applies to Christmas, Boxing Day and New Year as well.
Hospitality workers don't 'deserve' that down time or family time that retail workers do apparently 🤷🏼‍♀️.

There's no call to shut pubs and restaurants on a Sundays or over Christmas/New Year so hospitality workers can have some family time or down time or anything else.

And I think it's a bit of a virtuous argument tbh "Oh the poor retail workers, look at me sticking up for them".

If you don't want to work those days and hours then you just don't go into hospitality, because everyone else's 'downtime' is hospitality's busiest time! Pubs used to have to shut at 10.30 on Sunday and BH - I don't remember a big outcry when that changed and 24 hour licencing could be applied for and therefore pubs could now apply for a licence to open as early and stay open as late as they wanted any day of the week, and how unfair that was on hospitality workers.

Same applies to retail, you don't want to work
those hours then don't work in retail, same as working in hospitality. Same as the 24/7 industries we rely on.

People who go into their retail job on Boxing Day are often working to pay the taxi fare there and back

I like Sunday shopping, I’m busy from Monday to Friday, the only time I get for shopping is Sat / Sun

Same

Pay is often a crippling cost to a retail business. Some huge supermarkets can afford to pay for double shifts etc. Many can't, and @Needmorelego of course local leaders don't have a massive say in trading hours etc. These will almost universally be set centrally and be as extended as possible, and no, I always valued staff wellbeing over total profits - as I said, that potential one meal / family time a week can mean everything to some people.

I always find it funny how retail employees are treated on here - "don't work in retail then if you don't want to do the hours / be treated like shit by the public / put your back out with manual labour". Those same people, 15 years later then say "my son isn't allowed a day off for X reason / has to work until 11 and catch a bus home in the dark / can't come on a family holiday - should I email their boss"??

Baffling. Don't forget the majority of retail workers are students, older people and people on low incomes. They don't have the same choices as others do.

So people aren't using the "High Street" now but if the shops were open on Sundays and later in the evenings these people would flock to them and stop online shopping instead.

You're dreaming.

As for people who might not want to work all these extra hours getting out of retail - who is going to be staffing these shops in your open all hours scenario if they all leave. Do I hear you offering? Thought not.

dh cleaned at a supermarket and had extra pay on a sunday
only left 3 years ago

as a carer i had extra pay on a sunday, also left 3 years ago

This thread is premium MN.

I want the shops to be open to suit me, so I can go and buy something once a month/year/whatever - and I couldn't care less if the staff don't want to work extra hours, or if the shop owners don't actually want to open extra hours. It's all about ME, ME, ME.

I agree
i often wish that they should be open longer and weekends but people that work there obviously able to choose hours
i I often want to go on a Sunday but it’s too late and all have shut! I’m sure that others have felt the same and I have heard others say that too.
but I’m also aware workers need time off but I think the laws should allow the shops and owners to open longer if they wanted (if it is a law! I’m not even sure as retail is not my sector)

Shopaholic me would love the restriction to go away. But my niece is at university and works part time 3 days a week as well. I like that that the latest she works is 5 on Sundays and so has time to prepare for university the next day or just spend time with her family.

1000% agree with you, start a petition!
I worked in retail for a few years and would've done extra shifts. When the Olympics were last in London the trading laws on Sunday were relaxed, I didn't hear shop workers complain, tesco was relatively busy at 6pm it was good. I'm no expert so no one come for me, but I think It would do the economy a world of good.
Since the Sunday trade laws were introduced our needs and shopping habits have changed, also some people DON'T see Sunday as a holy "day of rest"
Grinch alert ⚠️ I don't get this trend for shops shutting on Boxing day... but that's another topic.

Former retail manager
Sunday working is hell and always will be.
Staff have no say in agreeing to work on this day.
They consequently lose time with their families as they may have a day off when children are at school and spouse is at work
Working with the public can be a thankless grind
They are mostly poorly paid

*sparkellie · Yesterday 21:59

Well I would like to be able to go to the bank on Sunday. Or the solicitors. Or the doctors. It's the only day I have off work that I don't have the kids, as it's the only day they go to their dads. Should they open too?*

What industry do you work in? Maybe I could use those services on a Sunday too. Maybe we would all be better off if we could visit our accountant, solicitor, insurance broker etc. on a Sunday. Why just retail?