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?

Which still leaves us the problem of, where are the workers to provide these face to face services going to come from? It's all very well saying companies should be thinking about the customer, but that doesn't impose any obligation on ordinary workers to take those jobs. Are people willing to pay more for the services they'd like?

The change I would make is for all large stores to be closed additionally on December 26th and January 1st.. Agreed. Fed up with DS having to leave family celebrations half way through the evening because he’s starting work at 5.30 next day.

I'm getting very strong vibes here that you're one of those people waiting to get into supermarkets on boxing day and then smugly telling those working that it's such a shame they have to work...

YABU, nothing needs to be open at all hours, people even if they work retail should be as able as anyone else to enjoy a weekend day of peace, if you need things in the house over the weekend, buy more during normal trading hours.

Don't know wtf your odd dinner rant has to do with anything

Good question! I agree with you. I don't think these other industries should be forced to be available 24/7, I'm intrigued as to why so many people think retail should be available bit not other non-essential services?
Is it because it would then have the potential to affect their weekends maybe? I don't see many people who would choose to give up their mon-fri 9-5 jobs... which is strange because working a weekend day would free them up to do their shopping on a weekday.

Just buy enough to last the weekend instead of begrudging people some time off

@YeahIsaidit time off from what? For some people Sunday is when they can and want to work so that's when they work.
If they are given Sunday off they will not earn any money.

OK but some people don't want to work Sundays or can't for religious reasons. 6h is plenty of time to get to a shop regardless

Theres still plenty of shops open of a Sunday by mine if you need a few bits. Tesco Express is open late and corner shops.

Just to clarify, because people seem hooked on the Sunday lunch thing - this is what is said to me, mainly by men ‘yes but if we got rid of Sunday trading then that would stop families getting round the table to have a Sunday lunch’. I resented the idea that a law should dictate what I can and can’t do on a Sunday. Why should I have to slave over a Sunday lunch while you get to go to the pub?

For the record, I do occassionally work Sundays and, as a teenager, always worked Sundays - the latter providing desperately needed income for me.

As to the side issue of ‘not enough workers’. There are plenty. Something like 5 million on out of work benefits? Many migrants who want to work. I know of many, many young men who struggle to find part time employment. There’s something about typical recruitment that screens out young men and those with disabilities.

There’s also been a lot of deviation into criticising people’s lifestyles, as if wanting to buy a handbag is a bad thing. I say each to their own rather than making a judgement there.

The thing about workers’ rights re zero hours contracts is a separate issue. I do agree that there should be employment rights to set a regular pattern of hours worked so that everyone can plan their life, including their downtime.

But it still doesn’t detract from the fact Sunday trading is bonkers in this day and age.

@YeahIsaidit if you don't want to work Sundays for religious reasons then you don't or you negotiate it as part of your contract.
The same as some people don't work Saturdays or Fridays for religious reasons.
I am going around in circles but it's simple....

Some people would like have access to shops for longer hours on Sundays.
Some people want or only can work Sundays.
Some people can't easily get to shops on the other 6 days for 1001 different reasons.
Retail is struggling. If they want the custom and trade they need to adapt to the 21st century life.

And now I’m tempted to start another AIBU post about why in God’s name do pensioners insist on doing their shopping on a Saturday.
THIS!!! It drives me nuts!! ok, i get that there are a small percentage who rely on family members to take them to the shops but I'm fairly sure they are a very small minority. I suspect they're the same pensioners who get the 4pm bus back from town and then complain about it being full of school kids.

pensioners can do their shopping wherever the hell they like they have probably been babysitting all week !

I work in retail. When I got my job I was told I had to work Sundays. I’d really rather not. I’d rather be at home with my family, like you are.

I’m actually looking for a new job as I’m not prepared to work these unsociable hours any longer for no more money.

There was a side discussion about this on a "things that annoy you" thread the other week.

It seems that people shop on Saturdays because it's their "right" and because they apparently enjoy crowds.

Whereas many of us who can avoid crowds, do so.

So glad you’re with me. It’s the frustration of trying to whip round the shops at the weekend after long hours of working and practically tripping over people who are walking at achingly slow speeds. The nice thing is that I like helping people fetch stuff from top shelves, or translating metric measurements into imperial for them.

I do remember, donkeys years ago, pensioners getting on a London bus with us teenagers at 8.30 am and complaining that we all smelled and there were too many of us.

They also get ‘Bertha’ the caravan out to go on holiday at 5pm on a Friday, usually when a school breaks up for a holiday, when the traffic is at its worst.

As to the side issue of ‘not enough workers’. There are plenty. Something like 5 million on out of work benefits? Many migrants who want to work. I know of many, many young men who struggle to find part time employment.

Ah, this old chestnut. Why do you think people on out of work benefits are automatically available to plug whatever gaps you want filling on Sundays? That's a massive assumption. Why are the young men who struggle to find part time employment all going to want and be suitable for these roles? If you're going to claim that there are plenty of workers, which is a big claim to make in a labour market that's universally acknowledged to be tight, a lot more working out needs to be shown.

Surely the solution to this is for all businesses to be available 7 days a week, the those who are unable to get to the shops except on a sunday after 5, will get another day off in the week? Flexibility for all.

The current situation is very much a worst of all worlds. The restricted hours basically wipe out the whole day.

Restricted hours should be 8-2, like France. Then you can pick up fresh things in the morning and then do family stuff for the rest of the day.

Less annoying in Summer but it does seem pretty ridiculous to be having shops open for the only daylight hours on a "family" day to make family life better!

@sparkellie well yes....if you work on Sunday you are likely to have another day off in the week 🙄
Most people generally work 5 days out of 7.
Some jobs people work patterns like 4 on 4 off. Some people do 12 hour shifts then 12 hours off.
Some people work nights.
No one expects anyone to work 7 days a week.
When I worked retail I mostly did every Sunday off and alternative Saturdays/Thursday off.
My sister did Tues - Sat (so Sunday and Monday off).
If we did a Sunday as extra it was either overtime or we got another day off in the week.

Oxymoron.

I'm positively ancient, remember half day closing on Wednesdays and everything closed from Saturday (often at lunchtime), until Monday morning.
No 24hr shopping. I think the corner shopping opened until 8pm, all the rest closed at 6.
Bank Holidays were observed in the main, and shops closed on Christmas Eve until the 27th.
Boxing day sales were a thing however, with people queueing at Harrods for a TV for £2 10s.

Do I want to go back to that? Probably no, I love the convenience of shopping whenever I feel like it, but must admit, a recent visit to rural France where the 'old' ways are still observed, it was quite nice not to have that constant consumerism competing for your time.

I could certainly go back to having no Sunday shopping at all. Simply to have that break from buying all the time.

We still have Sunday closing and it is a massive pain in the arse. It works here in bullshit rural South Germany because many women don't work full time. I'll have to be out the door at half 8 tomorrow morning to beat the rush of pensioners, fucking Swiss bargain hunters and massive intergenerational meetings of families in the fruit and veg aisle.

So who is unable to get to the shops while they are open currently? Because anyone only working 5 days a week should be able to get there on one of their other 2 days off? Or in one of the 6 evenings shops are open.
If someone can only get to shops after 5pm on a Sunday, then they may be able to argue that they are being forced to shopping online, but otherwise its a choice they are making, and changing Sunday trading laws is highly unlikely to affect that in any way that will affect the profitability of retail.

Indeed, they can do it whenever they want, but it's insane to do it at busy times and then complain it's busy, when most "could" do it at quieter times.

@Fartooold

I could certainly go back to having no Sunday shopping at all. Simply to have that break from buying all the time.

Who is forcing you to go shopping on a Sunday? If you don't want to, why do you go?