Flexible Working
This coverage examines flexible working practices and policies within the UK retail sector, focusing on their impact on operations, workforce management, and employee engagement. Reporting highlights employer initiatives, regulatory changes, productivity considerations, and challenges in implementing flexibility at scale. Retail executives, HR managers, and operations leaders can use these insights to shape strategies that balance business needs with workforce expectations.
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Aug- 2022 -1 AugustFeatures
Recession and retailers: a ‘cleansing effect’?
“Incomes are being squeezed, consumption is under pressure, interest rates are rising, and there’s a lot of uncertainty. These are classic ingredients for recession,” says Ian Stewart, Deloitte’s chief economist. According to Deloitte’s UK CFO Survey Q2 2022, finance leaders have assigned a 63% probability of experiencing a recession within…
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Jul- 2022 -15 JulyDepartment Stores
John Lewis Partnership named ‘Menopause Friendly Employer’
The Menopause Friendly’s independent panel of experts has awarded the John Lewis Partnership its Menopause Friendly Employer accreditation for “creating an inclusive culture where everyone feels able to talk about the menopause”. The company states that it wanted to “create a level playing field” by encouraging an environment in which…
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Feb- 2022 -14 FebruaryNews
Employers set to award record pay rises in 2022
Employers have reported that the median basic pay increase in their organisation (excluding bonuses) in the 12 months to December 2022 will be 3%, the highest figure recorded in the last 10 years of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’s (CIPD) reporting. The CIPD’s latest quarterly Labour Market Outlook,…
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Oct- 2021 -8 OctoberNews
Asos launches new policies to provide support for employees
Asos have announced the launch of a new package of policies, set to provide support to its colleagues for health-related life events. Some of the policies include: ten days paid leave for employees who have suffered a pregnancy loss; 5 days per cycle for colleagues and partners undergoing fertility treatment;…
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Jun- 2021 -10 JuneHR
JLP to provide six months’ equal paid parental leave
The John Lewis Partnership (JLP) has announced that it will provide six months of equal parenthood paid leave, becoming the first UK retailer to do so. In addition, two weeks’ paid leave will be given for any of the group’s staff members that experience the loss of a pregnancy. The…
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Apr- 2021 -13 AprilClothing & Shoes
Boohoo acquires new office in Soho for £72m
Boohoo has announced that it has acquired a new office in Soho for the group’s London-based brands for £72m. The new office is intended to become home for all London-based product, marketing, technology and central support teams, offering flexible working for approximately 600 employees. The news follows the retailer’s recent…
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Mar- 2021 -29 MarchCoronavirus
Extended retail opening hours to continue post-lockdown
The extended daily opening hours for non-essential retail are set to continue in a bid to encourage people back to the highstreet, according to the government. Communities secretary Robert Jenrick said the move will “help ensure the safe re-opening of non-essential shops by giving people greater flexibility to avoid peak…
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Jul- 2020 -10 JulyComment
Why a multi-skilled retail team is essential for optimal efficiency
Retail is a people business. And while the rise of online shopping has increased the role of technology, it has arguably made the colleague interactions that do happen even more important. The mantra for retailers of “right people, right place, right time” has never mattered more. A historical retail resourcing…
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Apr- 2020 -28 AprilComment
Furlough – what next?
The Government’s Job Retention Scheme was set up urgently to support employers and protect employees during lockdown. Such state intervention, unprecedented in the UK, is designed to facilitate a quick rebound of the economy once business activity resumes. But as the crisis drags on, the lockdown has already been extended…
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Mar- 2020 -30 MarchComment
What are your legal rights if your job has been affected by COVID-19?
Ever since the coronavirus outbreak gathered speed, life in the UK has largely been put on hold. From staff being unable to work due to self-isolation, to workers needing to stay at home to care for their children after schools were ordered to close, the impact on many businesses and…
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