Concerns over Employment Rights Act and youth crisis
CONVENIENCE channel chiefs have expressed disquiet about upcoming changes that are part of the Employment Rights Act.
And, more broadly, the retail industry is calling for urgent UK government action to help the sector tackle the deepening youth unemployment crisis.
Pete Cheema, Scottish Grocers’ Federation chief executive, said: “Upcoming employment changes, including reforms around statutory sick pay and guaranteed hours, must recognise how convenience retail actually works.
“Flexibility isn’t exploitation, it’s often mutual. And if rules become too rigid, we risk reducing entry-level jobs, particularly for young people.
“There are more than a million young people who are disconnected from the workforce and formal schooling.
“Youth unemployment remains stubbornly high. Retail is often their first step into work and we don’t want to accidentally close that door.”
And the Association of Convenience Stores has highlighted ways c-store retailers provide genuine two-sided flexibility and security for staff in response to an ongoing Government consultation on rights that are part of the Act.
ACS boss Ed Woodall said: “Local shops are responsible employers, offering store colleagues regular hours and notice of shifts.”
Meanwhile, more than 80 retail leaders have told Prime Minister Keir Starmer that Government policies are making it harder to hire young people, calling on ministers to bring down costs.
Helen Dickinson, British Retail Consortium chief exec, warned that retailers are being priced out of hiring young people as taxes and red tape push up the cost of first jobs.
She said: “Retail and its supply chain account for almost a quarter of all youth employment, making our industry uniquely placed to support young people through flexible, entry-level roles and clear routes for progression.
“But this first step on the ladder is cracking under the weight of government-imposed costs and regulations.”
