Marks and Spencers are letting their full-time staff across the UK to work only four-days a week so they can improve their work/life balance.
The retailer’s new ‘Worklife’ programme is aiming to provide more choice and flexibility for staff, reports The Manc.
After notably introducing optional pronoun badges for staff to help “build an inclusive future” last year, and following the well-praised decision to raise its minimum wage to £10 an hour during the cost of living crisis earlier this year, the retailer has announced its next employee perk in the form of a new flexible working offering.
M&S said the changes are designed to help staff achieve a better work/life balance, and says it also hopes it will help it to continue to “attract the best talent in the industry.”
This means that, from January 2023, over 3,000 of M&S’s Retail Managers across the UK will have additional flexible working options available to choose from, so as well as opting for either full-time or part-time hours, they can also choose whether to spread their hours over five days, or to work a four-day compressed work week, or even a nine day compressed fortnight.
Image: M&S
Part-time managers will also be able to access their own pro-rated version of the compressed ways of working on offer, M&S said.
M&S’s decision to introduce flexible working options follows what the retailer says was a successful trial across 100 stores – with 75% of the Retail Managers participating agreeing that compressed hours had had “a positive impact on their family life”.
73% said it also gave them more time to focus on and prioritise themselves.
“We want M&S to be a great place to work and shop, that means having engaged colleagues with a good work-life balance,” explains Sarah Findlater – Group HR Director at M&S.
“Retail is a fast-paced industry, but that shouldn’t mean missing out on the moments that matter.
“Whether caring commitments, the chance to get involved in your local community, or to prioritise your own mental and physical wellbeing, we’ve listened to colleagues and are determined to create a cultural shift to flexible working across our stores.”
Ms Findlater also added that the Retail Managers that took part in the compressed hours trial agreed that it’s been a “gamechanger” for them by giving them “more choice and autonomy”.
“We are determined to keep exploring ideas that transform the way we work at M&S,” she added.
The Government is investigating a number of companies for 'misleading' pricing practices.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched three new consumer protection investigations into Trainline, Virgin Atlantic, and RED Driving School over concerns that customers were not shown the total price upfront when buying things like train and coach tickets, holidays, or even driving lessons.
The investigations are part of a wider CMA clampdown on misleading pricing practices - in this instance, where mandatory charges are separated from the headline price, or added later in the buying process, which is known as drip pricing.
These practices leave consumers facing 'unexpected' costs or having to calculate the so-called true cost themselves.
Such practices can also impact competition between businesses, as a firm using drip pricing may falsely appear to be cheaper than a competitor pricing correctly, and therefore attract more customers.
Trainline is being investigated over whether all mandatory fees have been included in the upfront prices displayed to consumers buying tickets in advance on its app and website, while Virgin Atlantic's investigation will focus on whether mandatory resort fees and local taxes have been included in the upfront prices shown to customers buying package holidays.
Trainline and Virgin Atlantic are among the companies being investigated for 'misleading' pricing / Credit: Northern | Aric Cheng (via Unsplash)
RED Driving School is being investigated over how a mandatory booking fee and 'digital' fee have been displayed to people booking driving lessons - specifically whether these fees have been included in the total upfront price.
"At a time when many households are watching every pound they spend, it is important that people are not surprised by extra fees," commented Emma Cochrane, who is the Executive Director for Consumer Protection at the CMA.
"Clear pricing helps people compare offers confidently and choose the option that works best for them.
"Unexpected mandatory charges make this much harder, which is why the CMA initially put these firms on notice over concerns about their pricing practices and is now opening formal investigations."
The CMA says it's at the beginning of its investigations and has reached no conclusions about whether these firms have broken the law.
If it finds there has been an infringement of the law, the CMA can order businesses to pay compensation to affected customers or be charged up to 10% of global turnover.
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Business
Major new phone rule introduced at Wetherspoons after customers are ‘driven nuts’
Emily Sergeant
A major new phone rule has been introduced in all JD Wetherspoon pubs across the UK after customers complain of being 'driven nuts'.
The pub chain - which has nearly 800 branches across the UK - announced earlier this week that it has made the decision to ban people from playing music or videos out of their phones, and from taking calls on loudspeaker.
The ban, which has been introduced effective immediately, follows a rising number of complaints from customers about the noise - with owners saying sounds from smartphones and tablet computers had become an 'increasing problem' in recent years.
Wetherspoon founder and chairman, Tim Martin, says he wants Wetherspoon pubs to be 'an oasis of tranquillity and contemplation'.
A formal statement from the company announcing the ban reads: "Following complaints from customers, who are being driven nuts by other people’s videos and amplified phone conversations, Wetherspoon has asked customers to switch their phones to silent or to use earphones."
Wetherspoons has introduced a new phone rule at all its UK pubs after customers are 'driven nuts' / Credit: Allan Rohmer (via Unsplash)
Tim Martin added: "In order to avoid customers being driven chicken jalfrezi by a cacophony of sound, we are kindly asking phone users to pipe down."
Wetherspoon's ban follows a YouGov poll conducted last year questioning public opinion on a proposition made by the Liberal Democrats of introducing fines of up to £1,000 for 'headphone dodgers' who play music out loud on buses and trains.
62% of people, on average, said they would back this move if it was introduced.
The poll, which surveyed 6,815 British adults, found that almost three-quarters of those over 65 would support the fines, while those aged between 18 and 24 were split 47% to 43% in favour of it.
Early public reactions to Wetherspoon's ban appears to be overwhelmingly positive.
The Hoot -
4th November 2022 
