14 August 2015 #Employment
The government has opened a consultation on whether it should devolve Sunday trading rules to local areas, such as cities run by elected mayors and/or local authorities. This would give them greater control of their local economy and could mean significant disparities in Sunday trading rules affecting employees across different parts of the country.
The Employment Rights Act 1996 contains protections for shop workers from having to work on a Sunday. Shop workers who started their employment before 26 August 1994 and have to date remained continuously in that employment cannot be required to work on a Sunday, subject to certain exemptions. All other shop workers (except those only employed to work on a Sunday) can give their employer an opting-out notice which, with effect from three months beginning on the day that the notice was given, gives them the right to opt out of Sunday working. Again, the government is not proposing to make any changes to this protection.