Sports Direct, the "scar on British business”

[LlcoolJ]

Unfortunately, they're not the only big name High Street retailer to treat it's staff in this manner. One particular retailer makes the staff work 5 minutes less a day than the legal requirement in order so they don't have to give them any sort of break during their working day. Oh and they're also subject to the strip search mentioned in the OP.

It's a good job I can keep my moral superiority intact by buying everything online then. Oh, hang on...

 

[Surrey Seagull]

It's a good job I can keep my moral superiority intact by buying everything online then. Oh, hang on...

I (and several others) was once threatened with the sack by a former employer because another employee was caught stealing. My second line manager came to see me with a big smile on his face to announce the news that under the whistle blower act, I was to be fired alongside all of my colleagues because this guy was caught with his hand in the proverbial till. The reason given was that the shortfall must of been easy to spot in the books (it wasn't) and that because I had access to said books I'm as guilty as he was.
He was quite surprised when I totally agreed with him and would accept the judgement on proviso that the rest of the guilty be sacked too. I told him that both he and the rest of the management also had access to the books and were therefore equally as guilty. I then asked him when was he going to sack himself? The smile immediately vanished and he promptly left. I never heard anything about the incident again.
Some of us actually fight for the rights of employees not just post what we've read somewhere.

 

[Guy Fawkes]

I'm not sure if you could have missed the point more spectacularly. Well done!

What point is that then, Staff are treated poorly by a company then it's down to the Tories if they are in power because it's the current trend to blame them for everything, like this, even though this has been going on for years, even when Labour were in power?

My point was that customers are happy to shop with someone who treats their staff like this because their shopping habits are mainly driven by price and not by the ethical / moral treatment of staff (be it in the retail outlet itself or anywhere down the supply chain, back to the sweatshops it was made in).

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Some of us actually fight for the rights of employees not just post what we've read somewhere.

Hmmmm. This comes across as a bit of a snide comment. Have I interpreted this correctly?

 

[Surrey Seagull]

Hmmmm. This comes across as a bit of a snide comment. Have I interpreted this correctly?

You're free to interpret it any way you choose to but I did notice you didn't quote any part of the rest of my post. What's your thoughts about the 1st part I posted there?

 

[Guy Fawkes]

Unfortunately, they're not the only big name High Street retailer to treat it's staff in this manner. One particular retailer makes the staff work 5 minutes less a day than the legal requirement in order so they don't have to give them any sort of break during their working day. Oh and they're also subject to the strip search mentioned in the OP.

Someone I used to work with used to work for a company that forced it's staff to work for free on Saturdays in order to keep their job. (French company operating in the UK)

They get away with it because the workers wouldn't stand up for themselves and their rights and instead allow themselves to be exploited.

The workers should have refused, and if threatened with the sack if they didn't work for free, they should then shown that they would then be prepared to launch a mass unfair dismissal claim against the company in question, go to the press, etc... and then see what happened.

 

[Bevendean Hillbilly]

The workers at sports directs warehouse are, overwhelmingly, agency staff. So as well as not getting paid minimum wage and compulsorily searched in their own time are also subject to instant dismissal are not entitled to any union representation and, thanks to the Torres, have no access to employment tribunals or grievance entitlement. They will also have signed waivers that exempts them from working time directives.

They're also, I might add, typically from shitholes like Romania where, comparatively, they're living the high life in the UK.

How fatso Ashley sleeps at night is a mystery. Perhaps that's why God is punishing him by making Newcastle FC so piss poor.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

You're free to interpret it any way you choose to but I did notice you didn't quote any part of the rest of my post. What's your thoughts about the 1st part I posted there?

The first part was very admirable and also brought a smile to my face. But then the barb at the end changed this and my interpretation of the message and/or the point you're making.

And why am I free to choose an interpretation? Why the mystery about the point you're trying to make?

 

[Surrey Seagull]

Someone I used to work with used to work for a company that forced it's staff to work for free on Saturdays in order to keep their job. (French company operating in the UK)

They get away with it because the workers wouldn't stand up for themselves and their rights and instead allow themselves to be exploited.

The workers should have refused, and if threatened with the sack if they didn't work for free, they should then shown that they would then be prepared to launch a mass unfair dismissal claim against the company in question, go to the press, etc... and then see what happened.

That's really awful any way you look it. I couldn't imagine not being paid for work.

 

[Guy Fawkes]

That's really awful any way you look it. I couldn't imagine not being paid for work.

Sadly they felt that this was an acceptable policy.

Partly because they didn't know better, partly because of their fear of the sack was greater that their will to refuse, and to stand up for themselves and also because they seemed to value being in work (for that company) over the time and effort to look for and find a better employment opportunities elsewhere.

A lot of people won't re-train or move elsewhere and will just plod through in the same old role regardless of how badly they get treated or how low the wages are when they could get more by putting the effort in to improve their lot in life.

 

[Boys 9d]

Someone I used to work with used to work for a company that forced it's staff to work for free on Saturdays in order to keep their job. (French company operating in the UK)

They get away with it because the workers wouldn't stand up for themselves and their rights and instead allow themselves to be exploited.

The workers should have refused, and if threatened with the sack if they didn't work for free, they should then shown that they would then be prepared to launch a mass unfair dismissal claim against the company in question, go to the press, etc... and then see what happened.

I doubt if this company could have got away with that attitude in France as the French are much less likely to be apathetic when it comes to their rights. You have only to read the reaction of the UK Media when French workers feel aggrieved and take action.

 

[Surrey Seagull]

The first part was very admirable and also brought a smile to my face. But then the barb at the end changed this and my interpretation of the message and/or the point you're making.

And why am I free to choose an interpretation? Why the mystery about the point you're trying to make?

You're free to choose an interpretation because you're free to choose an interpretation. My point was and is, these things do happen, are happening and will continue to happen. Some of us have 1st hand experience of this but there are people who do stand up. After all, this isn't Victorian Britain with Victorian values is it?

 

[Buzzer]

You're free to choose an interpretation because you're free to choose an interpretation. My point was and is, these things do happen, are happening and will continue to happen. Some of us have 1st hand experience of this but there are people who do stand up. After all, this isn't Victorian Britain with Victorian values is it?

I've got to say you are being a little cryptic here but if you are involved in stopping these abuses then fair play to you matey. Absolutely no hidden meaning in that, I take my hat off to you. My ex-gf was caught in one of these zero-hour, minimum wage contracts with penalty clauses and she was made to feel like a piece of sh*t by these b*stards.

 

[RexCathedra]

. After all, this isn't Victorian Britain with Victorian values is it?

Objection, M'lud. Assumes facts not in evidence.

 

[alfredmizen]

Shocking revelations here

http://gu.com/p/4efp2

Workers are:
• Harangued by public address system for not working fast enough.
• Warned they will be sacked if they receive six black marks – or “strikes” – over a six-month period. Offences that earn strikes include: a “period of reported sickness”; “errors”; “excessive/long toilet breaks”; “time wasting”; “excessive chatting”; “horseplay”; and “using a mobile phone in the warehouse”.
• Banned from wearing 802 separate clothing brands at work.
• Made to go through rigorous searches – down to the last layer of clothing, asked to roll up trouser legs and show the top of underwear – which typically takes 15 minutes, because management are so concerned about potential theft.
Meanwhile, local primary school teachers have also told the Guardian that pupils can remain in school while ill – and return home to empty houses – because parents working at Sports Direct are too frightened to take time off work.

Whilst i dont want to go back to the dreadful industrial relations of the 70's if this is true something needs to be done, we in this country are in danger of returning to dickensian times in the workplace if we're not careful.

 

[Ernest]

Whilst i dont want to go back to the dreadful industrial relations of the 70's if this is true something needs to be done, we in this country are in danger of returning to dickensian times in the workplace if we're not careful.

That is the intention of the Tory government , this is no accident

 

[Norman Baker suck my lozenge]

How can people be made to work like this in 2015 in the UK? It's abuse.

It's only gonna get better now this government has forced through anti Union laws .
We're all in it together.

 

[8ace]

Another reason to boycott his shop if I wasn't already doing so.

 

[alfredmizen]

That is the intention of the Tory government , this is no accident

maybe , but i certainly wont be voting for the piece of trash you want as PM , the tories might want to screw the working classes , corbyn was quite happy to see me dead.

 

[Ernest]

maybe , but i certainly wont be voting for the piece of trash you want as PM , the tories might want to screw the working classes , corbyn was quite happy to see me dead.

Not the only one I'd guess