BRC warns government not to ‘regulate flexible jobs out of existence’
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has warned that poorly designed Guaranteed Hours reforms could risk regulating flexible jobs out of existence.
The warning follows YouGov polling commissioned by the BRC, which found that 67% of part-time workers chose their role because they needed flexibility around study or domestic commitments. Among part-time workers with children under 18, the figure rises to 80%.
Subscribe to TRBThe findings come as the government launches its consultation on the Guaranteed Hours proposals under the Employment Rights Act. The consultation will consider key issues including how ‘low-hours’ contracts are defined, how working hours are measured over time, and how changes to shifts are managed.
The BRC said the outcome of the consultation will determine whether retailers can continue to offer the flexible working arrangements valued by both employers and employees, or whether businesses will be required to lock in hours that are only needed during periods of peak demand.
Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “It’s vital that we don’t regulate flexible jobs out of existence.
“Flexible and part-time work is how millions of people make employment work for them – balancing shifts alongside study, childcare or caring responsibilities, and retail plays a vital role in providing those opportunities.
“For many workers, that flexibility isn’t a ‘nice to have’ – it’s what makes employment possible and allows them to take on extra hours when it suits them.
“Retailers need to offer those additional hours when demand is there, but they cannot guarantee them all year round.
“If reforms mean temporary peaks become permanent commitments for responsible businesses, they will offer fewer hours in the first place – reducing both opportunity and the flexibility that workers value and rely on.”
