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Sportsdirect; 90% of staff on zero hour contracts
Comments
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Indeed so
zero hours contracts cater for a range of working hours.
I considered the discussion wasn't about those that worked fulltime equivalent but about people who worked low numbers of hours (sometime even zero); I referred to these as 'part time'.
Clearly some people prefer to work zero hour contracts that being totally unemployed: the issue is should it be regulated and if so what sort of regulation.
It's laughable that anyone thinks there are anything other than a tiny, tiny minority of sports direct workers who prefer zero hour contracts.
Many will however want part time work, but almost all would want a guarantee of a certain number of hours (often at least 16 hours a week) and predictable shift patterns.
To have such a high % of people on zero contracts is exploitation of the worst kind, it fosters discrimination and fear in the workplace, and seemingly avoids reasonable employment law and protection.
Its shameful.US housing: it's not a bubble - Moneyweek Dec 12, 20050 -
I don't have access to their accounts or any figures, but I am surprised you have come to that conclusion. Their gross margins on the products are huge, they cost pennies to make by exploited illegal workers in the far east (see link I posted further up in this thread). Their retail locations are not in high cost town centres but tend to be in purpose built retail parks which will provide a much lower price per m2 of retail space. And, as this news story highlights, they pay staff low wages, and in addition 90% of the staff don't get holiday pay, sick pay.......
How on earth do you conclude they operate on tiny margins? Because it looks like a racket to me........
Their operating margin is 9.7% which compares to Tesco (3.4%), Next (19.5%) & JD Sports (4.4%) so yes this is a profitable business although JD sports have made some losses at Blacks. A racket though?
Tesco and Next have both said they don't use zero hour contracts (their subcontracted haulage does though). Don't know about JD Sports.
Might be an interesting experiment to see what happens if Sports Direct bow to pressure to end this type of employment because I think their customers may be unwilling to pay more for this type of kit and there will be no desire to reduce profitability either.0 -
Their other choices led to the current lack of choice. If you make wrong choices then doors close; make a lot of them and few doors remain open.
I don't know what staff turnover is like but I bet this experience of the world of work leads a number of people to try and improve their options.
I am sometimes amazed by the self righteousness of some of the posters on here and the assumptions they make that everybody has the same opportunities, when who your parents were where you were born and your own abilities can have a enormous effect on how you get on it life.0 -
grizzly1911 wrote: »Working for an Apple or a Walmart supplier maybe.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23486638
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2012/12/20121213101550661598.html
As I said people generally look for the least worst option that's available to them.
Consumers claim to be bothered about this stuff but can then be seen queuing at midnight to buy the latest bit if Apple tat. Most surveys will tell you that the consumer will pay a little bit more if the farmer gets a bigger cut/ poor people get more - it doesn't happen in practice.
Most people are outraged about Starbucks tax avoidance - we as consumers could have put them out of business in a week. Nah - couldn't be ars*d.0 -
The competition has gone bust over the last few years.
Us outraged consumers support these business models, if we didn't we'd stop using them.
I am heartily sick of feigned immoral outrage by mse greedy value hunters that support these firms.0 -
Kennyboy66 wrote: »
To have such a high % of people on zero contracts is exploitation of the worst kind, it fosters discrimination and fear in the workplace, and seemingly avoids reasonable employment law and protection.
Its shameful.
They why didn't you and all the others with your world view support Woolies and old the other fair brands that tret workers as you claim to prefer?0 -
I don't have access to their accounts or any figures, but I am surprised you have come to that conclusion. Their gross margins on the products are huge, they cost pennies to make by exploited illegal workers in the far east (see link I posted further up in this thread). .
Their gross margins are not huge - they are a volume business, the stores are crammed with stock much of it their own brands (Dunlop, Slazenger, Lonsdale, Donnay, Karrimor etc and there are normally queues at the tills.
Customer service is non existent and they don't squander much money promoting their brands.
The brands that they do buy suffer a huge fall in quality as they source the product at lower cost (Karrimor a perfect example).
However in a world were people barely look after their kit and would buy a new racquet rather than get a re-string, it seems to work.US housing: it's not a bubble - Moneyweek Dec 12, 20050 -
grizzly1911 wrote: »
It suits retailers to have zero hours contracts with very limited benefits.
Because consumers demand low low prices and vote for this model with their feet.
It seems some of you guys want your cake and eat it.
C'mon grizzly we all use Amazon, Netto, JD and the rest largely based on price.
If people genuinely are against zero hours terms, then firms that employ them will go pop.:rotfl:0 -
I am sometimes amazed by the self righteousness of some of the posters on here and the assumptions they make that everybody has the same opportunities, when who your parents were where you were born and your own abilities can have a enormous effect on how you get on it life.
Most people (in the UK) had more opportunities than me - I managed. You make a similar argument about how hard it was for you to buy a house - you managed.
It's bad enough that kids have less opportunities than others due to luck but it doesn't mean that other opportunities (like a free education) shouldn't be grasped with both hands.
Most people could do more to help their own situations regardless of ability or opportunity.0 -
Most people (in the UK) had more opportunities than me - I managed. You make a similar argument about how hard it was for you to buy a house - you managed.
It's bad enough that kids have less opportunities than others due to luck but it doesn't mean that other opportunities (like a free education) shouldn't be grasped with both hands.
Most people could do more to help their own situations regardless of ability or opportunity.
Of course people should grasp the opportunities available to them but the fact they don't has a lot to do with the things and people around them.0
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