A host of retailers have been accused by unions of using social media apps like TikTok to recruit young Christmas staff on gig contracts with no basic employment rights during the lead up to Christmas.
Retail giants including Lush, Urban Outfitters, Uniqlo and Gymshark were found to be hiring “freelance” shop assistants via gig apps to work in stores over the festive period, according to The Observer.
The apps, which include Temper and YoungOnes, have thousands of UK users and are being promoted by influencers with hundreds of thousands of TikTok followers.
Senior policy officer for employment rights at the Trades Union Congress (TUC) Tim Sharp said: “This is a worrying new development.
“It would seem absurd to most people that someone can do a job like working in a shop and not be entitled to basic legal protections. There is a big question mark over the employment status of these supposed freelancers.”
Traditionally, retailers have recruited agency workers who are granted basic employment rights like holiday pay and the national minimum wage to help them cope with the busy Christmas period.
However, some retailers are now seeking to hire gig staff members who are not covered by most employment laws.
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Last week, The Observer reported Urban Outfitters posted an advert on YoungOnes for “friendly young people” to be freelance sales assistants in Westfield Stratford, Marble Arch, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Although the positions were paid £12 an hour, putting them above the minimum wage, workers applying via the app were required to reapply each day for new shifts.
Gymshark advertised for 30 freelance shop assistants in its main London store earlier this month, while Lush and Uniqlo have also sought out gig workers over the festive period.
TUC warned the freelancer apps would not be covered by the government’s forthcoming employment rights legislation and could be exploited by more companies in the future.
The news comes after the BRC recently called on the public to join them in making a stand against violence and abuse towards retail workers this Christmas as incidents soared.
The move came after the most recent crime survey from the trade association found incidents soared to 1,300 every day, with acts including threats with weapons, physical assaults and racial slurs.
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