Uniqlo, Lush, and Gymshark have halted their use of freelance retail workers sourced via apps like YoungOnes and Temper following concerns raised by a union regarding employment rights.
The Trades Union Congress reached out to the retailers’ chief executives, urging them to discontinue the use of freelance retail staff, citing worries that these workers were being deprived of vital employment rights, as reported by The Guardian reported.
This correspondence emerged after it was disclosed last month that certain retailers had enlisted temporary holiday workers through gig economy apps, which have been endorsed by social media influencers.
The TUC expressed that the increasing reliance on freelancer apps was “extremely worrying” and highlighted that workers, categorized as self-employed, risked missing out on fundamental rights such as sick pay, holiday pay, the minimum legal wage, and safeguards against unfair dismissal.
A representative told The Guardian: “After a short trial with Temper, Uniqlo no longer recruits freelance workers for temporary roles in our stores. We now hire directly for temporary and permanent positions or through alternative channels to ensure that all of our staff qualify for applicable employment benefits.”
“We are dedicated to ensuring fair treatment for our employees while upholding our high service standards.”
Lush, which reportedly brought on fewer than six individuals through the apps briefly, remarked: “This was the first and only instance we have used this recruitment method, and we have no intentions of pursuing it in the future.”
Gymshark chose not to comment but is believed to have also stopped using the apps for hiring due to these concerns.
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