Contracted hours versus extra hours
Many shop workers are contracted for 12, 16 or 20 hours a week and pick up more when the store needs them. Extra hours up to full-time are often paid at your normal rate rather than as overtime. Your contract will say when overtime rates start, often only after 37.5 or 40 hours a week.
If you regularly work far more than your contract says, it may be worth asking for an increase. More contracted hours means more guaranteed pay and holiday.
Sunday working
In England and Wales most shop workers can opt out of working on Sundays by giving written notice, usually three months, and can't be dismissed or treated badly for doing so. This doesn't apply if you were hired only to work Sundays. Scotland has its own similar protection.
Large shops in England and Wales can only open for six hours on a Sunday, between 10am and 6pm, but staff often work before and after those hours to stock and close.
A worked example: Christmas
A 16-hour contract worker picks up 14 extra hours a week through December, so 30 hours at £12.71: £381.30 a week instead of £203.36. If the store pays a 1.5× Sunday premium on a 6-hour Sunday shift, that shift is worth £114.39, not £76.26. Check that premium line appears on each payslip.
Time before and after the shift
Counting the till, required bag searches, putting out deliveries before opening and recovering the shop floor after closing are all working time if you're required to do them.
Track it shift by shift
Shiftaan works out your hours and expected pay for every shift, even ones that cross midnight. Open the app.
Common questions
Can I refuse to work Sundays in a shop?
In England and Wales, most shop workers can opt out with written notice, usually three months. Scotland has similar rules.
Are extra hours paid as overtime?
Only if your contract says so. Often extra hours are paid at your normal rate until you pass full-time hours.
Is cashing up after closing paid?
Yes. It's working time if you're required to do it.