Merchants on the offer not to work on Sundays and holidays: the employees themselves would not be satisfied with that

“When surveys are conducted and employees are asked if they would like not to work on holidays or weekends, the answer is ‘yes, I would,’ but in practice some traders are comfortable working [savaitgaliais ir švenčių dienomis], I would not really satisfy the employees with this proposal either, “he said on the” Delfi diena “program.

“Imagine how the need for employees would change. After all, if we eliminate one-seventh of the trade, one-seventh of the workers would obviously no longer be needed. Let us bear in mind that these people must also be paid benefits, ”he said.

According to R. Vainienė, shortening the working hours of supermarkets would increase the flow of customers, so reducing the spread of the coronavirus would not help.

“People feel comfortable shopping on weekends and Sunday is one of the days. By shortening that time, we will make people behave in ways that do not suit them. The proposal, I would say even anti-epidemiological, because compressing the same number of buyers in fewer days means increasing their flow ”, explained R. Vainienė.

Remigijus Žemaitaitis, a member of the Mixto Seimas membership group, recorded the offer not to work in supermarkets on holidays and weekends.

“As a result, service workers miss the opportunity to properly commemorate the holidays, attend events, commemorations, or spend time with their families. Employees also make public comments that they are not always paid adequately for working on holidays. At the same time, the current situation regarding COVID-19 and the rapid increase in the number of infected people has prompted such a proposal. Due to the safety of the employees themselves and the reduction of the spread of the disease, it would be convenient for retail companies to have the opportunity not to work on Sundays and holidays, ”says R. Žemaitaitis in his proposal.

According to him, industrial goods stores and large supermarkets could be closed on public holidays and other holidays. The Government should provide more detailed recommendations, as R. Žemaitaitis said in the “Delfi diena” program, for small shops that are not online or gas stations to work.

The adoption of the proposed legislation would guarantee, in his opinion, the right of workers to rest on holidays and Sundays and would allow those who work in retail businesses to spend more time with their families. In addition, according to the member of the Seimas, the safety of employees and all citizens who visit frequently on Sundays and holidays, spending time in retail companies will be guaranteed.

Such a proposal by R. Žemaitaitis addresses his amendments to the Labor Code registered in March 2018. At the time, R. Žemaitaitis offered a slightly softer option, proposing to prohibit retail companies from providing commercial services not all Sundays, but “every last Sunday of the month and on holidays.”

The current Labor Code does not provide for the possibility for retail companies not to work on the last Sunday of the month and on public holidays.