The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has urged the Government to take a pragmatic approach to implementing the measures included in the Employment Rights Bill, which completed its passage through Parliament yesterday.
The new Bill marks a significant step towards delivering greater protections for workers, but the ACS has urged the Government to ensure the new measures are workable for local shops and other businesses.
The Bill, first introduced in October 2024, includes 28 reforms designed to meet the Government’s pledge to ‘make work pay’.
The ACS says it supports these aims and recognises positive changes made during the Bill’s progress, such as adjustments to unfair dismissal rules.
Convenience stores already offer flexibility and security to the 443,000 people they employ, the ACS said. Findings from the 2025 ACS Colleague Survey show that 96% of colleagues are on permanent contracts, with 53% working full-time. However, 53% had never had a shift cancelled.
There are ongoing concerns about how guaranteed hours and shift scheduling will work in practice, particularly for retailers with limited capacity and operating on tight margins.
ACS chief executive James Lowman (left) said: “This Bill covers a very broad range of new regulations that we will be consulted on and be implemented in 2026.
“We’ll continue to work constructively with the Government through upcoming consultations and the development of secondary legislation to ensure that these measures are fair, practical for local shops, and deliver outcomes that are both pro-worker and pro-business.
“Local shops are an exemplar of good work, offering secure, local, flexible employment, and these businesses need to be supported so they can keep offering these jobs in local communities across the UK.”
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