Part‐time employees in food retailing

Abstract

This article considers the reasons why food retailers currently employ predominantly part‐time staff from the employers’ perspective based on both primary and secondary research. It examines the reasons and considers the differences between part‐time and full‐time staff in terms of ratio, equal treatment and capacity in which part‐time staff are employed. The impact of new legislation is briefly reviewed. Lessons from the food retail industry, where flexibility in terms of part‐time staff has been commonplace for many years, can be applied to other sectors and employment practices in general.