Labour is facing pressure from business groups to avoid “regulating flexible jobs out of existence” as its landmark employment reforms move closer to implementation.
New YouGov polling commissioned by the British Retail Consortium found that 67 per cent of part-time workers chose their current role specifically because of the flexibility it offered.
Among parents with children under the age of 18, that figure rises sharply to 80 per cent, underlining how deeply flexible work is embedded in family life across the country.
The BRC’s intervention comes as ministers press ahead with plans to overhaul zero-hours contracts and require employers to offer guaranteed hours to qualifying workers.
Under proposals currently out for consultation, employers would be required to offer workers guaranteed hours based on the shifts they regularly work over a defined reference period.
The government’s preferred model would measure hours over a 12-week window before obligating businesses to offer a contract that reflects those hours.
Retailers argue this approach risks creating permanent staffing commitments based on what may be temporary spikes in demand during busy periods such as Christmas or seasonal sales.
BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said: “Flexible and part-time work is how millions of people make employment work for them, balancing shifts alongside study, childcare or caring responsibilities.”
Dickinson added: “For many workers, that flexibility isn’t a ‘nice to have’. It’s what makes employment possible.”
The retail sector employs almost three million people and relies heavily on flexible staffing, with more than 57 per cent of retail jobs being part-time, compared with just over 32 per cent across the wider economy.
There are fears that employers could respond to stricter rules by offering fewer additional shifts altogether, restricting opportunities for workers who want to increase their earnings during peak periods.
The debate comes at a sensitive moment for policymakers, as the Milburn Review recently highlighted that more than one million young people aged 16 to 24 are not currently in education, employment or training.
Employer groups have consistently argued that flexible and part-time roles provide a crucial entry point into the workforce for students and younger workers who need accommodating arrangements.
Business groups have acknowledged that the government’s objective of tackling exploitative contracts is understandable, but warn that poorly designed rules could reduce the very jobs many workers actively seek out.
The BRC is urging ministers to adopt a longer 26-week reference period and keep any definition of low-hours contracts tightly targeted to avoid unintended consequences.
Employment rights minister Kate Dearden said the changes would put workers “in the driving seat”, giving those who want guaranteed hours greater certainty while protecting flexibility for others.