Sunday trading laws may be suspended

[Kazzyhoward]

news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-plan-to-lift-sunday-trading-rules-to-boost-economy-12001529

Common sense at last. Allow stores to open longer on Sundays to help avoid queues and congestion in shops. Should have been done back in March.

[Mrsfussypants1]

We will just have to see. Oh, if any retail workers are out there worried if it comes to pass and you don't want to work sundays you can legally opt out. You need to provide your employer in writting giving 3 months notice you wish to opt out. If sunday is your given day to work your employer doesn't have to give you any extra shifts so you may lose out. Ps big thank you for working during all of this.

[blankethog]

As someone who works in a supermarket. It's highly unlikely this will affect many retail workers tbh. Most of us who work on the shop floor start at 5/6 or finish at 12 regardless of opening hours. Most of us don't mind working sundays (it's pay and a half where I work) and of your hours do change during the removal of Sunday trading laws they have to for with the availability you've previously stated. The only thing rubbish about it for retail workers is we won't be able to get moves done as quickly as most of them take place on a Sunday where it's easier to change over aisles without customers.

[blankethog]

Just to add the supermarket I work in has been extremely flexible with me and other people who have suddenly not got childcare (changed my shifts to work around DP) and there's no like it or lump it shift wise. We have the same every week and if they do change them they have to refer to your availability form and you can refuse shift changes within reason. We have a lot more rights than people seem to think. I have friends that work in different supermarkets with similar stories to mine too

[Likethebattle]

I’m in Scotland and loved working Saturday and Sunday as a student as it meant I earned more as I could work more hours than during the week.

It’s also great for staff if you work a certain number of hours you can now do them over less days.

[Laaalaaaa]

I couldn’t imagine getting up early on a Sunday morning and not being able to go to the supermarket and getting my shopping done by 9am. Crazy rules.

[Mrsfussypants1]

Sadly, pay and a half for sundays or bank holidays is rare now days and mostly for workers who have been in that company for a long time. Perhaps for larger shops that have more staff they have the room to be flexible. For smaller high street retail shops on your average retail park that employ fewer staff it isn't going to be as easy or welcomed. Hats of to you for working In a supermarket, i couldn't do it, I get irritated with Joe public when I'm shopping so would no doubt be fired for speaking my mind. That's me for tonight, I start work at 10.

[MrsTannyFickler]

Germany seems to be managing social dostancing with moreless NO Sunday opening at all.
Bit of a shame imo.

[beargrass]

Having lived in a country where shops are not open on a Sunday, I must say I prefer a proper, quiet day off of the world which everyone gets. Sunday trading here used to be such that staff got paid double - now it's time and a half - and the hours used to be strict whereas now it's "well we are just open an hour for 'browsing'". It's been chip, chip, chip away at the edges the whole time. Plus many retail staff aren't in a union. This will just accelerate poor working conditions and a society in which no one unwinds.

[beargrass]

Having lived in a country where shops are not open on a Sunday, I must say I prefer a proper, quiet day off of the world which everyone gets. Sunday trading here used to be such that staff got paid double - now it's time and a half - and the hours used to be strict whereas now it's "well we are just open an hour for 'browsing'". It's been chip, chip, chip away at the edges the whole time. Plus many retail staff aren't in a union. This will just accelerate poor working conditions and a society in which no one unwinds.

[Mrsfussypants1]

Oh, and my like it or lump it comment. I too have many friends who work in retail and they all seem to have bad bosses, rotas put up late, full time over 7 days and are given their shifts with no options but to take it, apart from 2 who have children on set days. A couple of my friends are grandparents and work over the weekends and are unfortunately stuck in retail. That's why I work with animals. Right I've got to move it to work. This has been quite an interesting debate.

[user1972548274]

I must say I prefer a proper, quiet day off of the world which everyone gets.

Carers, police, hospital staff, sewage and water treatment workers, national grid, transport network staff, ambulance staff, call handlers, emergency plumbers/electricians/gas engineers, cleaners, restaurant staff, crisis teams, care home staff, residential schools, prison staff...

[cushioncovers]

I don't understand the worry about staff working Sundays. The fact that shops are open Sundays isn't the problem imo it's the fact that some employers don't give staff the flexibility to choose not to work a Sunday.

[puffinkoala]

I hope they do suspend the Sunday trading laws. The only reason we still have them at all is because the SNP refused to support change in David Cameron's time (even though the laws are, surprisingly given the Presbyterian tradition, looser in Scotland).

I also hope that shops will do away with zero hours contracts and do what they did in my day - "adults" working in the week and students/sixth formers working at weekends with some "adult" supervision.

It will also mean more hours in which to shop, so fewer queues. And if people don't have to queue they might actually go to a shop. At the moment they can open all they like on 15th, people aren't going to go (or maybe they are given the massive queues to get into IKEA).

On the IKEA question - are they being fined as they shouldn't have opened until 15th? Or does the fact they sell meatballs mean they are a food shop

[puffinkoala]

many retail staff aren't in a union nothing at all to stop them joining a union. Maybe they should.

[Smellbellina]

I’d love to see Sunday trading restrictions abolished for good.

[JustTryingToGetThroughThis]

The poor staff. Having worked in retail for a large employer we used to get double pay on a Sunday. I left anyway.
But I'd definitely opt out of Sundays if they permanently changed as I can see that coming.

[blankethog]

@mrsfussypants. No I absolutely understand and I feel so sorry for those who work in a company were they aren't valued or supported by their superiors, I'm by no means denying that it happens. I was just trying to show the other side of it

[wowfudge]

There's no way England will get rid of Sunday trading - I think it's the most lucrative day of the week for retailers. If not it's hot on the heels of Saturday. I vaguely remember from uni that the UK had to agree to shops opening on Sundays for EU law reasons, but we were allowed to add restrictions. Ironically practically every EU country I've been to has minimal Sunday trading unless it's a holiday resort where the season is defined, e.g. in Spain El Corte Ingles is open, but few other supermarkets, depending on where you are.

[bookmum08]

If retailers went back to having proper shifts and staff who could basically be either weekday or weekend staff then I don't see the problem with longer hours on Sundays. The problem is retail these days is you generally have to be available to work at any time of the trading hours, any day, random times, no continuity, no knowing what days you will be working or not. Essentially zero hour contacts but you have a contract of something dumb like '4 guaranteed hours a week but you may be required for up to 30'. People cannot live like that.
Proper shift patterns with set days and times for retail workers should be compulsory.

[Trevsadick]

This is good news. Sick of seeing people moaning supermarkets are busy at weekends. Usually the moaners are the ones that could have shopped during the week.

When do they expect those that work Monday to Friday to shop?

[Patch23042]

Great news, if it happens.

People who want to “keep Sunday special” still can. No one will be forcing them to shop.

[MrsTannyFickler]

"People who want to “keep Sunday special” still can. No one will be forcing them to shop."

Unless they are forced yo work by employers.

Sadly lots of retail jobs won't even consider your application unless you say you are willing to work weekends too. Even if you're applying for a position that's Mondays and Thursdays, the employer wants your contract to say they can call you into work any day of the week.

[Trevsadick]

Most employers have a clause that they can call you into work weekends though.

Its rare it happens though.

I used to work for asda HR. Sundays, were always snapped up by people wanting to do the shifts. Rather than people forced. Well the majority of the time.

[middleager]

Thank fuck for that.

[BBCONEANDTWO]

I think this is a great idea.