The Secrets of Sports direct

[screenman]

[QUOTE 3667751, member: 259"]If you are self-employed and on a zero-hours contract I suggest you sack your solicitor or your accountant, or both. [/QUOTE]

Not sure I understand you there.

 

[andyfraser]

Boycotts and people power are all well and good but only if enough people commit to it. The odd person here and there may not make much difference. I can stop going to SD but I doubt that'll matter to them.

That's not to say we shouldn't do anything. I just don't know what the best way to go is.

 

[andyfraser]

When I left school in the late 80s I worked in some low paid jobs in retail and factories. There was no minimum wage back then. I was always given a contract with guaranteed hours and holiday pay. I always felt that I was treated fairly well and looking back the pay wasn't too bad either. Compared to now though it appears I was treated like a king and paid handsomely. Things have really gone down hill.

 

[nickyboy]

So I had a look at SD's accounts (as a listed company they have to make them available on their website)

In 2014 SD's total salary bill was £308m. Of this about £200m was the salary cost of the stores. Now I have no idea what % of store employees are on zero hours contracts, nor the cost to SD in moving them onto regular hours contracts. But let's say it's half the employees (so that's about £100m) and the extra cost is 40% (that's about £40m).

So how much reduction in sales is needed for it to be better for SD to migrate everyone to regular contracts rather than suffer the sales reduction?

3.5%

 

[shouldbeinbed]

Urban myth.

I did say apparently (I've no idea TBH) just noting that there'd been thread(s?) stating that other businesses operate a similar model to SD. maybe we can agree that the 'spoons beer one was done to death recently and people can search if they want to see how it ended up, Just making the point SD et-al aren't that unique in their business model.

 

[MarkF]

A lot of self employed people like myself are zero contract as well.

Yep, "Zero hours" sparks off angst in those without a clue, I was self employed for 30 years and now I get more "rights" in my new NHS zero hour contract than I ever did, I get holiday pay! I love the freedom of the ZH contract, as do all my (middle aged) co-workers, some who have rejected the opportunity for full time contracts, zero hours contracts do not = bad.

 

[MarkF]

When I left school in the late 80s I worked in some low paid jobs in retail and factories. There was no minimum wage back then. I was always given a contract with guaranteed hours and holiday pay. I always felt that I was treated fairly well and looking back the pay wasn't too bad either. Compared to now though it appears I was treated like a king and paid handsomely. Things have really gone down hill.

Me too, pre-computer age a local/branch manager was a real manager, a businessman, with responsibility for a wage budget to be distributed to his staff as he saw fit. This enabled me to earn more than others doing the same job and opened career doors to me, if the MW had been in force then I'd have been stuck on the MW default pay rate merry-go-round like today's kids.

 

[classic33]

Yep, "Zero hours" sparks off angst in those without a clue, I was self employed for 30 years and now I get more "rights" in my new NHS zero hour contract than I ever did, I get holiday pay! I love the freedom of the ZH contract, as do all my (middle aged) co-workers, some who have rejected the opportunity for full time contracts, zero hours contracts do not = bad.

But being basically on call for some employers is one hell of a downside to the Zero Hour contract.

 

[MarkF]

But being basically on call for some employers is one hell of a downside to the Zero Hour contract.

Yes, there'll be employers who use it in different ways, I am sure that some people are exploited.

I get my hours for my working week on the prior Wednesday, I'd like them 7 days before because I have to give 7 days notice of days I cannot work, getting them on a Wednesday means I can only reject Thurs/Fri......... if I'd like to. I get holiday pay built into my hourly rate, I think it's 1 hour per 8 worked, I also get 1:5 times pay after 8pm and weekends so I regularly choose the 4-midnight shift enabling me to cycle during the day and a 12 hour shift on a weekend. Bank holidays are 2x. I'll often work only 4 days and be paid more than regular contracted 37.5 hour 5 day employee. And I am still as "free" as when I was self employed, I don't have to ask my employer for days off should I see a cheap flight I want to book, I just book it and then tell them.

I don't want to work full time, I don't want to be tied down to a 9-5 job, I want flexibility and freedom, my contracted workmates don't get it, they'd be scared to death of not having the security of a guaranteed salary, but I was self employed, so what's new? The negative is no sick pay, but then I don't get sick like contracted employees seem to do.......

What I am experiencing seems miles away from what I read in the earlier post regarding Wetherspoons.

For it to work well, both employee AND employer have to be reasonable.

 

[classic33]

Contract last emplyer wanted everyone to sign, would have meant that they could call me with 1 hours notice and expect me to turn up for work.
All clearly laid out, what they expected from you. Contactable any hour of the day was another clause they included.

 

[MarkF]

Contract last emplyer wanted everyone to sign, would have meant that they could call me with 1 hours notice and expect me to turn up for work.
All clearly laid out, what they expected from you. Contactable any hour of the day was another clause they included.

That sounds awful, I don't call that reasonable.

 

[classic33]

That sounds awful, I don't call that reasonable.

No, but how many others have had the same pushed in front of them?
Even working for yourself allows you to plan a week out. That didn't. Shop work but could apply almost anywhere.

 

[Tojo]

To be fair, it's a dreadful shop that sells an unholy amount of tat - was last in there about a year ago and got a cycling jersey - total rubbish, but what do you expect for a tenner I suppose.

Not surprised they treat their staff like dirt.

Going off subject a little, but I got a couple of decent cycle jerseys from wiggle the other week for 9 quid each......

 

[Piemaster]

On a similar line, a T shirt vending machine.
I'm very mixed about it. Yup, it's exploitation. Theres also no social security safety net. You don't work, you don't eat. So if i don't buy the shirt the explotation stops and so does the workers pay. And as in all places, it's not what you earn, it's what you can buy with it that counts.
And it isn't that long ago that the same thing was happening in the UK, in the 'dark satanic mills' (which now seem to resemble SD shops)

 

[screenman]

No, but how many others have had the same pushed in front of them?
Even working for yourself allows you to plan a week out. That didn't. Shop work but could apply almost anywhere.

Have you ever been self employed? in what trade definately not mine as even this morning cannot be planned. Taking holidays is a risk of losing major customers to a competitor.