ACS has responded to a number of Government consultations on employment regulations, highlighting the security, flexibility and local nature of jobs in the convenience sector.
The Government is currently consulting on the areas of statutory sick pay, one sided flexibility and plans to establish a single enforcement body for employment rights.
Figures from the 2019 Local Shop Report show that the convenience sector employs around 405,000 local people. The majority of people working in stores (53%) walk to work, with the average cost of travel across the whole sector being just £1.81 per day.
According to the 2019 Colleague Survey, most colleagues in convenience stores are also satisfied with their job overall (69%), while 76% of colleagues are satisfied with the amount of notice that they’re given for upcoming shifts.
ACS chief executive James Lowman said: “Getting employment regulations right for both employers and colleagues is crucial in our sector, as the people working in our members’ stores are their greatest asset. The convenience sector provides local, flexible and secure jobs for around 405,000 people.
“Government regulation needs to help and promote good employment practices, of which the convenience sector is a shining example. It is right that the government looks at the one-sided flexibility of ‘gig economy’ jobs which are used by a growing number of companies in related markets to our members, and we want effective regulation to ensure a level playing field between our business model and theirs. Heavy-handed new employment regulations targeting our sector will have the perverse effect of undermining good employers who have to compete with these new models.”
In the submissions, ACS has called for the following to be addressed:
- The Government should not regulate the whole labour market to deal with problems that are predominantly found in the gig economy
- If sick pay eligibility is to be extended to all employees, the Government must introduce a full rebate system to allow retailers to recoup the costs
- There must be clear actions that retailers can take to encourage a phased return to work during sick leave, in collaboration with employees
- ACS supports the introduction of a single enforcement body for employment regulations
The submissions can be read in full here: https://www.acs.org.uk/lobbying/submissions
