UK high street retailers accused of recruiting young workers without employment rights over Christmas
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Major brands allegedly drafting in ‘freelance’ shop assistants through gig apps for busy festive season. UK high street retailers have been accused of recruiting young workers as store assistants without basic employment rights over the busy Christmas period.
![[Young social media influencers, who have hundreds of thousands of followers, were found to be promoting platforms, where retailers are sourcing gig workers who lack basic employment rights]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/12/12/19/iStock-1704413556.jpg)
Major brands – such as Urban Outfitters, Lush, Gymshark, Uniqlo and Emma Sleep – are allegedly drafting in “freelance” shop assistants through gig apps for the festive season, which means the workers would not be covered by most employment protections because they are technically classed as self-employed.
Describing the new development as “worrying”, Tim Sharp, senior policy officer for employment rights at the Trades Union Congress (TUC), told the Observer: “It would seem absurd to most people that someone can do a job like working in a shop and not be entitled to basic legal protections. There is a big question mark over the employment status of these supposed freelancers.”.
Stores typically bring in agency workers – who have to basic employment rights, including holiday pay, the national minimum wage and adequate breaks – to deal with the increased number of shoppers during November and December. However, the newspaper found young social media influencers, who have hundreds of thousands of followers, are promoting platforms, including YoungOnes and Temper, where retailers are sourcing gig workers who lack basic employment rights.
