Sunday Trading - What's With The Longer Hours

[Minimunchkins]

I don't recall seeing anything on the news etc but our Tesco & Asda have both got signs outside saying they're now open from 9 am to 8 pm on Sundays.

I thought we were still restricted to the 6hrs of trading where most shops did 10 am to 4 pm. .I think it was all being debated to have it as just another day but expected it to go on & on before decisions were made.

 

[Minimunchkins]

Sorrrry - cancel my last.

I should have googled before posting . . . . . . all Sunday Trading rules have been suspended for 8 weekends from 22 July because of the Olympics.

 

[lardylady]

I presume the extended hours will only be for shops in the London area- or am I being naive?

 

[DustQueen]

I presume the extended hours will only be for shops in the London area- or am I being naive?

No ours in oxford is doing the same

 

[hurleymurley]

Ours in Basildon is the same, I think they are even open 24 hours.

 

[DustQueen]

Ours in Basildon is the same, I think they are even open 24 hours.

Yeah our tesco is 24hr 7 days a week now

 

[ginlin]

The law has been amended in the whole for England and Wales for 8 weeks, but it's up to individual shops whether they chose to change their hours or not.

The vast majority of them seem to be taking advantage of the opportunity to test the water for extended opening hours on a Sunday.

 

[mantha16]

the asda i work at was going to do it but the local authority wont let them so woohoooooo to still having shorts shifts on a sunday (at asda you have to work one of the weekend days happily for me mine is sundays cos saturdays suckkkkkkkkkkkk)

 

[Shirleen]

I dont agree with it! Family time is becoming a thing of the past and I find that really sad. I work every other weekend but in a job where someone NEEDS to be here 24/7. Tesco's don't NEED to be open, and I object to the policy of enforced weekends and shift changes that at least Sainsburys make you sign into!

 

[mantha16]

well in fairness to asda they make it very clear at the beginning that you have to work one of the weekend days i chose to work there you cant blame a supermarket for having such a policy since the weekends are the busiest trading days

 

[chazzdiver]

With Assad it doesn't even need to be every weekend either, one of the girls I work with has a four week rota and only works one Sunday on it. But they do tell you in advance that they will be doing this and make sure that you agree to it. Lol it's not like they are keeping us there in chains. I find working at asda much more relaxing than working in sainsburys, everyone is always greeting each other when we pass and like to chat, so it doesn't feel as dull as it did in sainsburys

 

[mantha16]

I have to say altho i work way less hours at asda and therefore have significently less income than in my last job and the work is pretty dull generally speaking i like it a lot more as I dont have to deal with bs office politics and my colleagues are great on a sunday the buses only run every 30 mins and by the time we leave the store we miss the 4.20 so have to wait 30 mins we usually end up having a right laugh at the bus stop if it wasnt for that and the odd funny customer id loathe working there

 

[Starlight]

Id hate the restricted shopping you guys have in England. We have 24/7 shopping all year round at the supermarkets. Its great

 

[anzerg2009]

Ours in Basildon is the same, I think they are even open 24 hours.​

 

[HPSaucy]

I dont agree with it! Family time is becoming a thing of the past and I find that really sad. I work every other weekend but in a job where someone NEEDS to be here 24/7. Tesco's don't NEED to be open, and I object to the policy of enforced weekends and shift changes that at least Sainsburys make you sign into!

I'm totally with you on this one and I was saying the same thing today to the checkout lady at Tesco, I remember when they brought in Sunday trading and they asked my Mum to work, she worked at Woolworths, my Dad was horrified and told her not to do it, it's family day (it was voluntary to work it then), I also do a job which is 24/7 365 days a year but really feel for those who don't, don't get me wrong, sometimes when I finish work in the early hours of a Monday morning I think damn I could have done with going shopping but it just makes me more organised as I don't want the shops being open all the time, I want the workers at home with the kids playing games and having fun (am I really old fashioned?!)

And whilst talking about kids, if this Sunday trading relaxing works for 8 weeks and the government extends it what then happens with childcare? Are nurseries going to open Sunday's as well to look after the kids for the parents who are having to work all the time?

Sorry about the rant.. Ignore me!! X

 

[Legomom]

I like extended Sunday hours!! My hubby only gets one day off and during the six weeks often finishes after 8pm (theme park.....bleurgh!!!) his day iff this year is sunday Not a problem in term time as i go while the kids are at scho but I can't shop with my AS son during the holidays. It makes my life (and anyone else who works weekends!!) a LOT easier!!!

 

[Zanna]

I preferred working sundays when I was at tesco as they were uncontracted, you only worked if you wanted to and when you worked them you got time and a half, I used to try to work every sunday I could! Now I'm at sainsburys and I'm contracted to do every other sunday with no time and a half which annoys me a tad, I loathe them expecially since many of my colleagues who've been there longer are entitled to time and a half and I'm not. Luckily I don't think my store is doing the extended opening hours - the only good thing about sunday is that it's a nice short day.

No one has to work sundays if they don't want to though - I'm contracted for them yes, but all shopworkers can opt out of working them as long as they give their employers 3months written notice of their intention to do so. The downside to that however is that your employer is not obliged to replace the hours you lose from your sundays with shifts at other times of the week.

 

[AnnaFaraday]

I was involved in drawing up some of the Sunday Trading legislation in the 1990s - wow, was that complicated. So many different points of view, all lobbying like crazy. We ended up with a very clumsy piece of legislation, but I suppose it works in an odd sort of way.

There is an interesting Wikipedia page covering the legislation here and in other countries.

Sunday shopping - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Shirleen]

I preferred working sundays when I was at tesco as they were uncontracted, you only worked if you wanted to and when you worked them you got time and a half, I used to try to work every sunday I could! Now I'm at sainsburys and I'm contracted to do every other sunday with no time and a half which annoys me a tad, I loathe them expecially since many of my colleagues who've been there longer are entitled to time and a half and I'm not. Luckily I don't think my store is doing the extended opening hours - the only good thing about sunday is that it's a nice short day.

No one has to work sundays if they don't want to though - I'm contracted for them yes, but all shopworkers can opt out of working them as long as they give their employers 3months written notice of their intention to do so. The downside to that however is that your employer is not obliged to replace the hours you lose from your sundays with shifts at other times of the week.

But in this day and age people are afraid to say no and risk not getting the job. I had a friend who worked for Sainsburys and had to leave because her childminder couldn't cope with the shift changes that Sainsburys kept giving her!

 

[Zanna]

But in this day and age people are afraid to say no and risk not getting the job. I had a friend who worked for Sainsburys and had to leave because her childminder couldn't cope with the shift changes that Sainsburys kept giving her!

If you're that afraid you accept the job and even if inconvenient find a way to do the Sundays just until til your probation is up and permanent employment is confirmed - you have your foot in the door then. Then you give them notice of your intention to opt out, which is your absolute right under employment law. Yes this might annoy them a little but they cannot fire you or treat you less favourably for this lest you take them to an employment tribunal for discrimination.

They're trying to chop and change my hours at present as and when suits them citing business need (they are loathed to recruit many new people at the moment so are stretching their current staff) however I can't do the hours they want. Luckily I know my rights and am not going to be pushed into anything that easily - I have a disabled relative to care for and pointed out that what they were trying to do basically contradicts their work-life balance policy, it also contradicts their PR image at the moment of being all about helping disabled people (sponsors of the paralympics). They have to offer me at least 3 sets of hour changes in an attempt to resolve the situation before it goes to a labour match - where they see if my current hours fit in better in another part of the business and switch me with another employee. If you didn't want this new job then and only then would you potentially get your notice for being unable to work where the business needs - it's an exceptionally rare scenario since most people manage to get it resolved and even then you still have the right to claim constructive dismissal.