Government urged to back Saturday workers
The British Retail Consortium is calling on the government to safeguard the sector’s ability to offer flexible entry-level employment, particularly the traditional Saturday job, by introducing reforms. According to BRC CEO Helen Dickinson, “For generations, Saturday jobs have given young people their first experience of work, helping them build confidence, develop new skills and take the first step in their careers.”
The trade association wants ministers to scrap moves to raise minimum pay for 18 to 20-year-olds to the same level as over-21s, something the government has pledged to do at a pace set by the Low Pay Commission. This move is intended to reduce the financial burden on businesses and encourage them to hire young people.
A BRC-commissioned Opinium poll of 2,000 UK adults found that four out of five believed part-time work, including the traditional Saturday job, was important in helping young people into employment. Support rose to 91% among those aged 55 and over, underlining the enduring value many place on these jobs as their own first steps into the world of work.
Those who did take this route as a teenager in the mid-1980s would have been paid an hourly rate in the region of £1 to £1.50 (£3.20 to £4.80 in today’s money), according to parliamentary debates from the time. This highlights the significant change in the value of money over the years and the need for policies to adapt to these changes.
Retail and its supply chains still account for almost a quarter of all youth employment, according to the BRC. More than half of the 780,000 retail jobs held by 16 to 25-year-olds were part-time, but such roles were coming under pressure thanks to rises in employer National Insurance contributions and the national living wage over the past two years.
They are also asking for the pay threshold for employer National Insurance contributions to be increased, and for reforms over zero-hour contracts to “remain proportionate”. This comes days after government analysis put the cost of the guaranteed hour reforms to businesses at up to £2.9bn.
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Helen Dickinson added, “If the government is serious about tackling youth unemployment, it must not make it harder to create entry-level jobs.” The BRC believes that reducing the cost of employing young people and introducing proportionate guaranteed hours reforms would encourage businesses to hire more young people.
Businesses need policies that encourage recruiting young people, not discourage it, after £6.5bn in additional employment costs over the past two years. The BRC argues that the government should prioritize reducing the financial burden on businesses to help them create more entry-level jobs, particularly in the retail sector, such as expansion into new markets.
In the middle of this debate, the traditional Saturday job plays a significant role in helping young people gain work experience and develop new skills. By understanding the importance of these jobs, policymakers can make more informed decisions about how to support businesses in creating entry-level employment opportunities.
The BRC has proudly provided these opportunities for millions of people, but they are becoming harder to sustain. It hopes that the government will consider its proposals and work to safeguard the future of the traditional Saturday job.
They are essential for young people’s development.
