Sports Direct, the "scar on British business”

[Flex Your Head]

The unions must be all over Sports Direct like a rash after all of the newspaper stories and TV documentaries.

But it shouldn't be up to the unions to have to apply this type of pressure, it should be up the government and other authorities to stamp it out. Can't imagine why they seem so reluctant to get involved *sarcasm*.

 

[Buzzer]

You are free to leave a job in any part of the UK.

I disagree with your stance. It places the onus on the employee to fix the situation so that the employer raises his game to the bare minimum an employee will tolerate to work in that company. It presupposes that the employee can find a job elsewhere which is a pretty big ask. Not everyone has the qualifications or the social mobility to do so.

And anyway, this is entirely the wrong way to go about things. We are supposed to live in a civilised society where after 150 years struggle for workers' rights, we should have delivered a safe workplace free from bullying, where employment contracts are clearly understandable on both sides and are equitable, where employees feel able to air grievances without fear of losing their jobs and companies recognise that their workforce are people and treat them with a modicum of respect and where they get a fair pay for a fair day's work.

Most companies easily achieve this and are proud of their commitment to their staff. It's why most personnel departments are now called human resources or talent management. Sports Direct are like something from the 19th Century and need to be shamed into sorting this mess out. Just because someone is low-waged/low-skilled/immigrant doesn't give Sports Direct the right to treat them like they do.

*gets off soapbox*

 

[Triggaaar]

Just done some back ground reading on him. He also appears to be a right cock.

My BFF knows him, and yes, he's a complete cock.




BFF is tongue in cheek

 

[Thunder Bolt]

My wife is a nurse and similar will happen. If beds haven't been made they will be told to at the end of the shift despite the fact another is coming on and they have been swamped, the handovers will get longer and longer, they are forced to work through lunch making it a 12.5 hour shift with no break. They don't get paid for that time, get told they 'owe' hours.

To add insult to injury she has then had to fight to get her incremental rise because she completed training late due to her hospital cancelling it time after time

Bullying is endemic in the NHS. A friend of mine ended up taking a slightly earlier retirement because of it. The union did stand up for her and the manager was put in her place, but the stress told on her.

 

[Deleted member 2719]

I am not condoning all Ashley working systems but for example so much product gets stolen from business's and the general attitude is the company can afford it.

But that bolloxs they are just a bunch thieves and should be horse whipped for it.

Just my opinion like.

 

[Biscuit Barrel]

But it shouldn't be up to the unions to have to apply this type of pressure, it should be up the government and other authorities to stamp it out. Can't imagine why they seem so reluctant to get involved *sarcasm*.

I agree with you. If Sports Direct are breaking employment law then I would have thought it would be reported and stopped. I work for a very large company and I must say that I am treated very well and fairly. To the point were a bad member of staff can't be sacked for making a string of costly mistakes. The only way it seams that a bad employee at my firm can get the sack is if they break a safety policy resulting in an accident.

 

[Biscuit Barrel]

I disagree with your stance. It places the onus on the employee to fix the situation so that the employer raises his game to the bare minimum an employee will tolerate to work in that company. It presupposes that the employee can find a job elsewhere which is a pretty big ask. Not everyone has the qualifications or the social mobility to do so.

And anyway, this is entirely the wrong way to go about things. We are supposed to live in a civilised society where after 150 years struggle for workers' rights, we should have delivered a safe workplace free from bullying, where employment contracts are clearly understandable on both sides and are equitable, where employees feel able to air grievances without fear of losing their jobs and companies recognise that their workforce are people and treat them with a modicum of respect and where they get a fair pay for a fair day's work.

Most companies easily achieve this and are proud of their commitment to their staff. It's why most personnel departments are now called human resources or talent management. Sports Direct are like something from the 19th Century and need to be shamed into sorting this mess out. Just because someone is low-waged/low-skilled/immigrant doesn't give Sports Direct the right to treat them like they do.

*gets off soapbox*

It is not my stance. My stance is that every employee in the UK should be treated fairly. I just said that if you are not treated fairly, you are free to leave.

 

[Paul Reids Sock]

Bullying is endemic in the NHS. A friend of mine ended up taking a slightly earlier retirement because of it. The union did stand up for her and the manager was put in her place, but the stress told on her.

In this instance the union were a complete waste of space. I had to do most of the letter writing on her behalf.

I have never had as much respect for the NHS as I do now. My wife has only been in it for a year however even during the 3 years training they are treated like dirt. The problem is that the majority of them just want to help people and therefore will work on in an understaffed hospital and take the grief so that the patients are alright.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

It is not my stance. My stance is that every employee in the UK should be treated fairly. I just said that if you are not treated fairly, you are free to leave.

You also seem to be under the impression that unfair (or even illegal) treatment of employees will be "dealt with", either by trade union intervention or a bit of action by a regulatory authority. That seems unlikely, in the case of a long-established arrangement, like this one, that is effectively denying the minimum wage to thousands of employees, without the intervention of a regulator. What's needed is the sort of campaign that has been kicked started by the press getting involved in the way it has.

And you also have to take Buzzer's comments seriously. Not everyone has the easy access to social mobility that you imagine. A lot of workers have family responsibilities, including childcare obligations. Housing can't easily be cast aside. Etc, etc, etc. Work it out for yourself.

 

[Gwylan]

I just said that if you are not treated fairly, you are free to leave.

That's not really true though is it? That might be the case in London or the south-east where there a few jobs around, but it's not the case everywhere. Where was that place a couple of years ago that had 1500 people applying for six jobs in a coffee shop?

And you can't just leave and go on benefits either. What's more, if you're on benefits and you're sent to SD for a job, then you generally have to take it.

So, some people really do have little choice but stick it out

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

The only trick Ashley has missed is employing children.

 

[crookie]

As a clue, practically every worker in the main Brighton store is a young Spanish person. Just need to look at the stats for Spanish youth unemployment and I think you have your answer. Would be very surprised if they weren't directly targeted on the basis of any job is better than no hope of a job. Which is no doubt the argument that Ashley would put up. Don't make it right though.

Interesting you say that, nearly all the ones behind the till in the Tunbridge wells branch are Spanish as well

 

[The Albion Roar]

It is not my stance. My stance is that every employee in the UK should be treated fairly. I just said that if you are not treated fairly, you are free to leave.

Whereas the reality should be 'if you are not being treated fairly, you should be...'.

People aren't necessarily free to leave. Voluntarily walking out of a job in an area of little employment choice at a time when you have family obligations just because you're not being treated fairly and you're working under the ludicrous zero-hours contacts will mean you have no chance of state assistance.

So your stance is wrong.

It's the obligation of the company to employ you legally and fairly.

He stuck his factory there for a reason, you know...

 

[LlcoolJ]

And you can't just leave and go on benefits either. What's more, if you're on benefits and you're sent to SD for a job, then you generally have to take it.

So, some people really do have little choice but stick it out

Or you might have got sent to work for SD on one of those brilliant schemes where you work for free or get no benefits. Ashley missed a trick if he didn't sign up for that. Same shit conditions etc but free (slave) labour.

 

[looney]

More like that they are easy to exploit.

In a way its the same thing

 

[Guy Fawkes]

But Cameron says more people are in work so this must be OK.

I guess this is Britain's way of competing with China. Disgraceful.

People want cheap goods and don't really care about how staff are treated when it comes to deciding whether to buy their goods from somewhere like Sports Direct or from a competitor instead. It's like people buying cheap food and not caring how it was produced (and it's usually not down to it being all they could afford)

It has very little to do with Politics or China

 

[Guy Fawkes]

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

Sadly there are people out there that are willing to accept their treatment and continue to work in poor conditions and suffer poor treatment rather than look for alternative employment elsewhere.

If you don't know you are being treated badly and assume that's how it is everywhere, why would anyone change companies? and sometimes it's laziness and a willingness to accept that you hate your job but it's just a pay cheque at the end of the day rather than do something about it and move or undertake training to get better employment in the future (social attitudes)

 

[Guy Fawkes]

There was an undercover type documentary about them a little while ago basically exposing the same things.

They look a dreadful company to work for but full credit to the staff for working there instead of just taking the dole.

I don't even think they are particularly that cheap and just sell chav wear

Why is the first thought as thre alternative the Dole and why not moving to another employer?

If there isn't a lot of alternative employment opportunities in your local area, move to another area / region where there are. (people in this country are too fixed to their current location and reluctant to move to better themselves and their lot in life, even if it means living and working abroad)

Also, if this became common public knowledge, and employees didn't stand for it, or didn't take up their vacancies then Sports Direct would be forced to change their ways if they were unable to attract and keep staff - by sticking with it, it just keeps the exploitation going.

 

[LlcoolJ]

People want cheap goods and don't really care about how staff are treated when it comes to deciding whether to buy their goods from somewhere like Sports Direct or from a competitor instead. It's like people buying cheap food and not caring how it was produced (and it's usually not down to it being all they could afford)

It has very little to do with Politics or China

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

 

[Surrey Seagull]

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.