Several UK retailers are allegedly using hiring apps to hire young “freelance” workers who lack basic job rights, according to a recent study. As businesses hire more workers in anticipation of the holiday season, Urban Outfitters, Gymshark, and Uniqlo are reportedly among those engaging in these tactics, according to The Observer.
Tim Sharp, the Trades Union Congress’s (TUC) senior policy for employment rights, has seen such processes and described the recent development as “worrying.”
A growing number of retailers are using apps like YoungOnes and Temper to hire seasonal labour, many of whom are not protected by most employment laws, whereas formerly agency workers were usually hired to handle the increased foot traffic around Christmas. According to the media outlet, the apps charge stores a fixed price for each hour that members of their network labour. They are also being marketed by TikTok influencers.
One company that has been found to use YoungOnes is the fashion retailer Urban Outfitters. For instance, the company recently placed an advertisement on the app seeking independent sales assistants. According to The Observer, the advertisement offered workers 12 pounds an hour, but they had to apply for additional hours every day. Similar procedures were observed at Uniqlo, Gymshark, and Lush.
Sharp called the practice “unacceptable,” while TUC chastised those who used these apps for “passing on risk from the business owner to the individual staff member.” The group also pointed out that the impending job rights laws from the Labour government would not protect these independent contractors, which could lead to further exploitation down the road.
