Rising employment costs threaten to end the Saturday job pipeline into Britain's cycle trade, says ACT
Posted on in Business News , Cycles News
The ACT has warned that rising employment costs are quietly killing off one of the industry's most important entry points - the traditional Saturday job.
Jonathan Harrison, Director of the ACT, said the combination of minimum wage increases, holiday pay entitlements and new sick pay obligations introduced in April is making it increasingly difficult for independent bike shops to justify taking on young part-time staff.
Jonathan Harrison
Jonathan said: "The Saturday lad or lass has been how generations of people fell into the cycle trade. They came in for the love of bikes, learned the ropes, and many of them went on to build careers in the industry. That pipeline is now under serious threat."
Paul Kenchington, director of The Bicycle Chain in Bridgwater, said the reality on the shop floor had shifted significantly. Paul said: "In the early days of our business the Saturday lad or lass worked for the experience and the staff discount, with a small wage as the bonus. Some of our best people started that way. But the product is now complex, the marketplace is cut-throat, and the cumulative cost of employing someone one day a week has reached the point where many of us are simply stepping back."
Jonathan added: "The issue isn't simply cost in isolation. The job itself has changed. Customers expect expert advice on e-bikes, on fit, on technology. That's a lot to ask of someone working one day a week, and when the financial risk of employing them has also risen, many shop owners are simply deciding it isn't worth it."
ACT is calling on the government to review the cumulative impact of recent employment legislation on small independent retailers, and to consider whether targeted exemptions or support for young and part-time workers could help preserve entry-level roles that are vital to the future of the trade.
The ACT is part of the Bira Group and represents cycle traders and retailers across the UK, championing the cause of independent bike shops and promoting safe, quality cycling products and services.