The British Retail Consortium has backed the changes made to the Employment Rights Bill from the House of Lords announced last week.

The updates include removing guaranteed hours from a ‘right to have’, to a ‘right to request.’ Additionally, the new qualifying period for unfair dismissal was down to six months from two years.

The new changes also introduced a seasonal work definition and reinstated the minimum 50% threshold required for trade unions to vote for industrial action.

However, Helen Dickinson, BRC chief executive, stated there are still causes for concern and further room for improvement for the bill.

“Even with these amendments accepted, retailers remain worried about the consequences for jobs from other areas of the bill,” she said.

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“The industry has lost 350,000 jobs over the past ten years, and current proposals around guaranteed hours in particular could threaten the availability of local flexible part-time jobs, which support so many people from so many backgrounds in work.”

She added: “Of the three million people working in retail, half work part-time, which allows them to manage work alongside their other life commitments and work as much or as little as they are able to. There must now be a much more strategic dialogue between employers, unions and Government, to collectively find solutions that will work for everyone.

“We share the same goal, punishing unscrupulous employers who do not treat their employees fairly, delivering secure work for employees, and protecting the availability of jobs in communities across the UK.”