Easter Sunday shopping?

[area 51]

Because in 2017 not everyone's lifestyle neatly fits into a 9-5 monday - friday working world.

 

Some people actually have things to do at the weekend other than some rose tinted delusion of everyone quietly going to church in the morning and sitting around for a sunday lunch in the afternoon.

 

In what is supposed to be a secular society no laws should exist that tell a private business when it should and shouldn't open just becuase of outdated demands from those worshiping some mythical sky being.

 

The 1994 Act was a start but didn't go far enough. Its clear that the 6 hour compromise we have now was was only after a major battle with the Trade Union rent-a-gobs, religious leaders and deluded keep sundays special brigade.

 

Scotland suffers no such restrictions so why should we.

 

Its just a day. One out of the seven. My work demands and international clients mean that my "weekend" happens to fall Sun/Mon. Some of my colleagues covering Middle East areas they have theirs even later on in the week.

 

Im sure my business is not alone and there will be thousands of others whose work demands cover periods 24/7 and have their own non work days at various days during the week, meaning their sunday is just a normal working day. Where is the protected status of their jobs? Why does all this fuss only seem to apply to retailers but any other Sunday workers are ignored.

 

The point is simple. Why the hell should I be forced to suffer the of inconveneince limited trading hours on a Sunday just because some archaic law.

 

The law is there for workers.You might give your workers days off during the week to make up for losing weekends but there are businesses that are not so generous.I was once offered a job which i rejected when he said i would have to work seven days but only five hours on saturday and sunday.If companies want to open at weekends then they should get staff who just want to work weekends.I have had to work today i have got to work tommorrow while my family have gone away for the long weekend while i am left at home.I know what you are going to say,find another job ,thats the answer all business owners give to their workers who complain.We dont even get overtime anymore it is just a take some time back when you can.Business owners have to understand that most workers are just doing a job, we are not in it for any other reason than just to earn money to pay the bills,workaholics are few and far between.We do not think the same as business owners.The law should not be changed just to keep business owners happy.You must have plenty of free time with the amount of posts you manage to make on this forum.

[Eater Sundae]

The law is there for workers.You might give your workers days off during the week to make up for losing weekends but there are businesses that are not so generous.I was once offered a job which i rejected when he said i would have to work seven days but only five hours on saturday and sunday.If companies want to open at weekends then they should get staff who just want to work weekends.I have had to work today i have got to work tommorrow while my family have gone away for the long weekend while i am left at home.I know what you are going to say,find another job ,thats the answer all business owners give to their workers who complain.We dont even get overtime anymore it is just a take some time back when you can.Business owners have to understand that most workers are just doing a job, we are not in it for any other reason than just to earn money to pay the bills,workaholics are few and far between.We do not think the same as business owners.The law should not be changed just to keep business owners happy.You must have plenty of free time with the amount of posts you manage to make on this forum.

 

The current laws prohibit a few shops from opening at certain times on Sundays. The vast majority of workers across a vast range of industries (there are very many people who work somewhere other than a shop) are not protected in any way at all by these laws. It is such an insignificant number of workers who are affected by this. Also, I'd wager that some shop workers would like to work on Sundays and currently do not have the opportunity.

 

The big stores which are affected most by the Sunday trading laws are the ones which are least likely to want staff to work a 7 day week. These stores usually open for long hours, say 14 hours per day. They base their staff needs around shift working, with probably only half their serving staff working at any time. Even if they did want 7 day working, the current system would not protect you or anyone that tried to insist on the 7 day week you were offered.

[area 51]

The current laws prohibit a few shops from opening at certain times on Sundays. The vast majority of workers across a vast range of industries (there are very many people who work somewhere other than a shop) are not protected in any way at all by these laws. It is such an insignificant number of workers who are affected by this. Also, I'd wager that some shop workers would like to work on Sundays and currently do not have the opportunity.

 

The big stores which are affected most by the Sunday trading laws are the ones which are least likely to want staff to work a 7 day week. These stores usually open for long hours, say 14 hours per day. They base their staff needs around shift working, with probably only half their serving staff working at any time. Even if they did want 7 day working, the current system would not protect you or anyone that tried to insist on the 7 day week you were offered.

 

Just goes to show that the wonderful EU working time directives that the remainers tried to promote isn't worth the paper its written on for UK workers.Thats one of the reasons i didnt like the EU.My contract says 48 hours a week but i may be required to do more hours to fulfill my job requirement but unpaid.Is this illegal and if not why not.The eu just does not protect uk workers.There should have been no opt out unless the worker specifically asks.Letting the employer be able to ask was a sure way of making sure you had to opt out.I was told just to sign it ,it was non negotiable.

[Fudbeer]

I have worked in retail all my life.

 

I have many friends in retail and most have families and they all make huge sacrifices at this time of year and Christmas most working Boxing day.Nearly all given a choice would love to have more weekends off but accept that the nature of work dictates they can't.

 

The law as it stands at least gives them Easter Sunday off and a shorter working day on Sunday if it was changed I believe many would be forced to work more hours on Sunday and Easter Sunday too.

 

I think the current law is a fair balance between workers rights and when customers want to shop.

[LeMaquis]

All such shops are by law CLOSED on Easter Sunday, as on Xmas day.

 

(Just so's you know)

 

Spar on Ecclesall Road was on open on Christmas Day.

 

Just so's you know.

Edited April 14, 2017 by LeMaquis

[altus]

Just goes to show that the wonderful EU working time directives that the remainers tried to promote isn't worth the paper its written on for UK workers.Thats one of the reasons i didnt like the EU.My contract says 48 hours a week but i may be required to do more hours to fulfill my job requirement but unpaid.Is this illegal and if not why not.The eu just does not protect uk workers.There should have been no opt out unless the worker specifically asks.Letting the employer be able to ask was a sure way of making sure you had to opt out.I was told just to sign it ,it was non negotiable.

Blame our government for insisting on an opt out.

[taxman]

Just goes to show that the wonderful EU working time directives that the remainers tried to promote isn't worth the paper its written on for UK workers.Thats one of the reasons i didnt like the EU.My contract says 48 hours a week but i may be required to do more hours to fulfill my job requirement but unpaid.Is this illegal and if not why not.The eu just does not protect uk workers.There should have been no opt out unless the worker specifically asks.Letting the employer be able to ask was a sure way of making sure you had to opt out.I was told just to sign it ,it was non negotiable.

 

Blame the Tories for demanding an opt out from the Working Time Directive...but I bet you voted for them so it's your own fault isn't it? Bit dim maybe.

[ECCOnoob]

I have worked in retail all my life.

 

I have many friends in retail and most have families and they all make huge sacrifices at this time of year and Christmas most working Boxing day.Nearly all given a choice would love to have more weekends off but accept that the nature of work dictates they can't.

 

The law as it stands at least gives them Easter Sunday off and a shorter working day on Sunday if it was changed I believe many would be forced to work more hours on Sunday and Easter Sunday too.

I think the current law is a fair balance between workers rights and when customers want to shop.

 

But this is exactly the point. Why should retail workers get shorter hours on a Sunday when the rest of us dont have such a choice.

 

Most people who work weekends work their normal shift hours. They dont close down business offices or police stations or hospitals or call centres or hotels or heavy industry or IT departments or public transport operations or leisure facilities or broadcast operations early just because a Sunday.

 

Life carries on for thousands if not millions of people. It is just a normal working day.

 

I ask again, why is retail somehow protected. I never to this day understand it.

Edited April 14, 2017 by ECCOnoob

[area 51]

Blame the Tories for demanding an opt out from the Working Time Directive...but I bet you voted for them so it's your own fault isn't it? Bit dim maybe.

 

No i didnt vote for them,i have never voted tory in my life,so its not my fault is it.Why do you assume i voted tory, is it because i voted leave.

 

---------- Post added 14-04-2017 at 22:37 ----------

 

Blame our government for insisting on an opt out.

 

That was my point,no opt outs should have been allowed to the uk,it should have been a take it or leave it.I was once pro-european believe it or not because i believed we would be better off and i would be protected as a worker.But allowing governments to cherry pick what they wanted including tory and labour governments i realised that they were not protecting me at all.I decided that we may as well not be in the EU anymore for what use they had been to me.It was the same with New Labour i stayed up waiting for the result thrilled that it was a new dawn away from the tories and that life would be so much better for me as a working class lad.Guess what,things actually got worse for me under new labour and again i ditched the labour party and i have now ditched the EU.

[iansheff]

Small shops in England and Wales can open any day or hour. There are no trading hours restrictions in Scotland.

Size of a small shop

A small shop is one that measures up to and including 280 square metres.

This area includes all parts of the shop you use to display goods and serve customers. You can’t get around the restrictions by closing off parts of your shop on certain days.

 

Rules for large shops in England and Wales

Shops over 280 square metres:

 

can open on Sundays but only for 6 consecutive hours between 10am and 6pm

must close on Easter Sunday

must close on Christmas Day