// House of Fraser staff are faced with zero-hours contracts ultimatum
// The group is offering store staff below management level zero-hours contracts in place of existing contracts
// Staff who don’t accept the new contract terms face being made redundant
House of Fraser has reportedly put staff into consultation over its move to zero-hours contracts, which puts thousands of roles at risk.
The retailer, owned by Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group, is considering offering all store staff below management level zero-hours contracts in place of their existing contracts.
A staff member said that the consultancy process begun yesterday and that staff who don’t accept the new contract terms face being made redundant on the most basic terms, Retail Week reported.
READ MORE: 150-year-old House of Fraser store in London’s Victoria to shut down
The zero-hours contracts would mean store staff face the prospect of losing holiday pay and sick pay.
Since House of Fraser was acquired by Ashley, 14 of 59 stores have been permanently closed and thousands of jobs lost.
The initiative comes after fellow Frasers Group-owned retailer, Evans Cycles, slashed 300 jobs and moved all remaining staff over to zero-hours contracts in March this year.
Management were moved to 45-hour contracts in place of 40-hour ones, while all other staff entered “casual workers agreements”.
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10 Comments. Leave new
At least they still have jobs.
Barely… A zero hours contract with no benefits or guarantee of work is hardly something to celebrate.
I’d take the redundancy, then go on agency. you’re basically an agency worker anyway on a zero hour contract, so may as well take a payment, and get a better hourly rate, and maybe even land yourself a job with a proper contract.
HOF would of gone the same way as Debenhams had Mike Ashley not bought it . So I think it is better than no job .
Zero hours contract with no holiday pay or sick pay isn’t worth it. For longstanding staff I would leave.
I thought Frasers Group were going to end zero hours contract. It appears not.
Won’t support businesses like this. They have done the same with Evans the cycle people and Jack Wills.
This is disgusting. The government claim to be protecting jobs, what they should be doing is changing the law.
The reality is that workers have little or no protection.
If I was working there for more than 10 years I take the Redundancy I would never work zero hrs
He’s a vile man! Would he want a zero hour contract these type of contracts should be abolished. This is disgusting behaviour and is playing with people’s lives and mental health!
Absolutely disgraceful decision to put staff on zero hour contracts especially since many were still forced to work during lockdown despite stores being closed, that’s there thank you and reward.
Let’s not be fooled this is Sports Direct and there unethical approach to business
They may have taken the Fraser name but by taking the name does not mean you can polish a turd.
The narrative about losing holiday pay is false. Instead Frasers Group pay a sum of money each month calculated using an algorithm based on total hours worked in that pay period.
The article seems to imply it is Mike Ashley’s fault that 14 HOF stores closed with jobs lost – but it’s the other way round, he’s actually saved 45 stores and I don’t believe for a moment there’s anyone else ruthless enough to make the important decisions – such as moving staff onto zero-hours contracts – that keep it afloat.