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Labour has been warned not to “regulate flexible jobs out of existence” after new polling found two-thirds of part-time workers chose their role specifically because it offered flexibility around childcare or studying.
The intervention from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) comes as ministers press ahead with plans to overhaul zero-hours contracts and force employers to offer guaranteed hours to qualifying workers under Labour’s flagship employment reforms.
Business groups say the government’s objective of tackling exploitative contracts is understandable. Their concern is that badly designed rules could end up reducing the very jobs many workers actively choose.
New YouGov polling commissioned by the BRC found 67 per cent of part-time workers took their current role because it offered flexibility. Among parents with children under 18, that figure rises to 80 per cent.
Ministers have been simultaneously trying to boost youth employment, increase workforce participation and improve workers’ rights, while businesses complain that rising employment costs are already making hiring harder.
“It’s vital that we don’t regulate flexible jobs out of existence,” BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said.
“Flexible and part-time work is how millions of people make employment work for them – balancing shifts alongside study, childcare or caring responsibilities.”
“For many workers, that flexibility isn’t a ‘nice to have’. It’s what makes employment possible.”
Under proposals now out for consultation, employers would be required to offer workers guaranteed hours based on the shifts they regularly work over a reference period.
The government’s preferred approach would measure hours over a 12-week period before requiring businesses to offer a contract reflecting those hours.
Retailers argue that model risks creating permanent staffing commitments based on temporary spikes in demand.
Clash over guaranteed hours
The retail sector employs almost three million people and relies heavily on flexible staffing patterns, particularly during Christmas, sales periods and seasonal peaks.
More than 57 per cent of retail jobs are part-time, compared with just over 32 per cent across the wider economy.
There have been fears that employers could respond to stricter rules by offering fewer additional shifts altogether, limiting opportunities for workers who want to increase their earnings during busy periods.
The debate comes as policymakers grapple with rising youth inactivity. The Milburn Review recently highlighted that more than one million young people aged 16 to 24 are currently not in education, employment or training.
Employer groups have argued that flexible and part-time roles often provide a crucial route into the workforce for students and younger workers.
The government’s consultation is seeking views on how guaranteed hours should be calculated, how low-hours contracts should be defined and how much notice employers should give before changing shifts.
The BRC is urging ministers to adopt a longer 26-week reference period and keep any definition of low-hours contracts tightly targeted.
The government has said the reforms are designed to end “one-sided flexibility” while preserving workers’ freedom to choose arrangements that suit them.
Employment rights minister Kate Dearden said the changes would put workers “in the driving seat”, giving those who want guaranteed hours greater certainty while protecting flexibility for others.
