Pay and conditions in retail 2005/06

What you will find in this report

Based on detailed data from over 100 companies employing more than one and a half million workers, this research gives a comprehensive picture of pay and conditions for retail staff and managers.

It looks at key issues affecting retailers today, such as the national minimum wage, zonal pay, trends in premium payments and employee benefits.

Tables of current rates of pay for retail staff are provided as well as a directory showing the pay structures of 55 retail organisations.

The report is divided into eight main sections:

1. Review and prospects

• Retail pay settlements during 2005
• Average earnings in the retail sector
• Impact of the national minimum wage
• Pay and bargaining prospects 2005/06
• Inflation forecasts to the end of 2006.

2. Pay rates and pay policy developments

• Median starter and established sales assistant rates
• Pay restructuring in 2005
• Table of pay rates for point-of-sale staff in 63 retail organisations
• Induction rates
• Junior rates
• Pay for senior sales staff
• Pay for supervisors and team leaders
• Store manager salaries
• Long-term trends in age-related pay.

3. Regional variations in pay

• Development of zonal pay
• Pay zones for managers
• Labour market top-ups
• Pay at out-of-town centres and Heathrow
• Table of zonal pay structures at 42 retail organisations.

4. Premiums and allowances

• Consolidation of premium rates
• Compensatory payments
• Bank holiday premiums
• Sunday premium pay
• Twilight and night-shift premiums
• Market supplements
• Call out payments
• Pay for overtime.

5. Bonus and incentive payments

• Sales-related schemes
• Customer service-related schemes
• Shrinkage-related schemes
• Multi-factor schemes
• Profit-related bonuses
• Profit shares in 2005
• Commission payments
• Christmas bonuses
• Employee recognition schemes.

6. Employee benefits

• Family-friendly schemes
• Voluntary benefits
• Company sick pay schemes
• Staff discounts
• Holiday entitlement
• Pensions in retail.

7. Employee relations and consultation arrangements

• Trade union membership and collective bargaining
• Partnership agreements
• Impact of statutory recognition legislation
• Developments in information and consultation arrangements.

8. Directory of pay structures

• Directory of pay structures in 55 retail organisations.