Businesses ‘Have Responsibility for Seasonal Staff’

Businesses who may be hiring those looking for ex-army jobs for their seasonal staff have been reminded they have a responsibility to their temporary workers. 

With Black Friday (November 27th) having just been and an expected £1 billion to be spent on this day alone, retailers are gearing up for an incredibly busy festive period this year. 

That is why many look for short-term workers to boost their staff numbers and provide much needed support for the shop floor.  

However, The Co-operative Insurance has urged employers to take care of their seasonal staff, whether they are permanent employees or not. 

“Being an employer comes with responsibilities and whether your business is a seasonal one, or just one that needs temporarily expanding for a few weeks or months, you are not exempt from business laws and employment regulations,” Kieran McGeehan, head of SME Business Insurance at The Co-operative Insurance stated.

Experts predict £200 million more will be spent on this year’s Black Friday than last, putting added pressure on online and high street retailers to have enough staff to cope with the demand.

Other popular shopping days of the season include Cyber Monday (November 30th) and Boxing Day (December 26th).  

This comes after unemployment levels in the UK dropped to 5.3 per cent in the third quarter of the year, bringing the employment rate to 73.7 per cent – the highest level since records began. 

Figures from the Office for National Statistics revealed there were 31.2 million people in work in the UK by the end of September and just 1.75 million unemployed.