New Year's Day trading for large retailers: consultation

Large retail businesses are currently able to open on New Year’s Day. This consultation is being held to seek the views of shop workers, retail businesses and others on whether the current law should change so that large retail businesses must close on New Year’s Day.


Questions For Digital Consultation

1. Are you currently:

  • An employee working in a large retail store in Scotland – (if yes, please go to Employee Questions)
  • A manager/business owner of a large retail store in Scotland (if yes, please go to Employer Questions)
  • A family member of someone who works in a large retail store in Scotland (if yes, please go to Closing Questions
  • Other (Please specify) (if yes, please go to Closing Questions)

Employee Questions:

1. What type of large store do you work in?

  • Food Retail (e.g. Supermarkets and mixed retail which offers food as a primary purchase)
  • Non-food Retail

2. Do you work:

  • Full time
  • Contracted part time
  • Zero Hours Contract
  • Seasonal/Fixed term contract

3. Does the store you work in usually open on New Year's Day?

  • Yes
  • No

4. Have you worked on New Year's Day?

  • This year
  • Last year
  • In previous years
  • No

5. How does your workplace determine who works on New Year's Day?

  • Asking for volunteers
  • Contractual arrangements
  • Rota
  • Other (Please specify)

6. Do you receive a premium for working on New Year's Day?

  • Yes
  • No
  • If yes, do you receive:
  • Time and a quarter
  • Time and a half
  • Double time
  • Shift allowance
  • Time of in Lieu (TOIL)
  • Other (Please specify)

7. Are you happy to work on New Year's Day

  • Yes
  • No

8. Does working on New Year's Day have an impact on you or your personal/family life? Please tick all the issues that apply using the following scale:

1. Has a significant negative impact

2. Some negative impact

3. No impact

4. Some positive impact

5. Has a significant positive impact

1 2 3 4 5

  • Transport to/from work
  • Caring for children
  • Caring for family members
  • Your ability to spend time with family
  • Financial impact
  • Work satisfaction
  • Other – please state

9. Do you have any premium costs as a result of working on New Year's Day?

  • Transport costs
  • Childcare costs
  • Caring costs
  • Other (Please specify

Employer Questions:

1. What type of large store do you operate?

  • Food Retail (e.g. Supermarkets and mixed retail which offers food as a primary purchase)
  • Non-food Retail

2. Is your store usually open on New Year's Day?

  • Yes
  • No

3. How does your workplace determine who works on New Year's Day?

  • Asking for volunteers
  • Contractual arrangements
  • Rota
  • Other (Please specify)

4. Do employees in your organisation receive any of the following enhancements for working on New Year's Day?

  • Time and a quarter
  • Time and a half
  • Double time
  • Shift allowance
  • Time of in Lieu (TOIL)
  • No enhancements beyond normal payments.
  • Other (Please specify)

5. If your store is closed to customers on New Year's Day, are employees needed to attend work for other activities, such as receiving deliveries, replenishing shelves, fulfilling online orders?

  • Yes
  • No

6. Would closing large retail stores on New Year's Day have an impact on any of the following:

  • Your customer's ability to access essential goods not available locally
  • Your suppliers
  • Other businesses co-located in or adjacent to your store
  • Residents in your local community
  • If you answered yes to any of these questions, please provide more information here

7. Do you think closing large stores on New Year's Day would have an impact on your overall profitability?

  • Yes
  • No
  • If yes please say why

Closing Questions:

1. It is currently the law that large stores close on Christmas Day. Do you think the law should change so that they close on New Year's Day too?

  • Yes
  • No
  • Not sure

2. Is there anything else you would wish to comment about this consultation?

Contact

Email: retailsupport@gov.scot

Back to top