JD Sports: employees told ‘use holiday leave or face unauthorised absence discipline and loss of Christmas bonus’ on days when warehouse will be shut but company says policy 'remains the same as previous years'

Employees at the JD Sports Distribution Centre in Rochdale have been told they need to use their holiday leave over the Christmas and New Year period, or have it marked as an unauthorised absence – despite the warehouse being shut, it has been claimed.

Rochdale Online understands that staff at the distribution centre, including management, have been told that they must use their holiday hours on days when the warehouse will be closed, even though it isn’t possible for anyone to attend work on those days.

However, JD Sports has denied the claim saying that its approach to annual leave over the festive period has not changed; staff can take annual leave or unpaid leave during the warehouse closure and neither option will impact their Christmas bonus.

Whilst the day shift will work on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, the warehouse will shut for the night shift on 24, 25, and 31 December.

A source told Rochdale Online that if night staff are rostered in on Christmas and New Year, they are 'now no longer allowed to take unpaid leave at any time', and that this puts staff working that shift pattern at a disadvantage.

The affected shift pattern is understood to fall on a four-on-four-off pattern, with one shift scheduled for 23, 24, 25 and 26 December, before four days’ leave when another shift will work, before the first shift returns on 31 December until 3 January. 

They said: “Previously employees could take unpaid leave over Christmas and New Year if their shift fell on those days, but JD has told staff it will no longer allow unpaid leave at any point.

“If they don’t use their holidays for those days – when the warehouse will be shut – it will be treated as an unauthorised absence and managed in line with company absence procedure, and can be counted towards disciplinary action if you have other absences, even though it’s not possible for anyone to attend work on those days.”

The source claims that the sports giant, which employs thousands of people across multiple shift patterns, has also said it won’t pay the Christmas attendance bonus to people who don’t have annual leave booked for those days, even if they attend all rostered days when the warehouse is open.

The Christmas attendance bonus is at a sum of £140 every two weeks over six weeks of the festive period for a total sum of £420.

“The opposite shifts that are not rostered to be in will end up with three extra days’ holiday a year to take whenever they want, because the days the site is closed will line up with their days off.

“This means they don’t need to book any leave for the closure days, yet others are being forced to do so if they don’t want action taken against them for an unauthorised absence,” the source added.

JD Sports has denied the claims, with a spokesperson saying: “The group’s approach to annual leave over the festive period in the UK remains in line with that taken during previous years. 

“During this year’s peak trading period, all functions will remain fully operational at our Kingsway site in Rochdale with the exception of periods between Christmas Eve and Boxing Day, and New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. 

“During these dates of closure, colleagues can utilise annual leave or unpaid leave at their own discretion. Neither impacts their ability to receive the discretionary attendance bonus provided by the company.”

After hearing the statement from JD, the source said that “nothing had changed” and staff at the warehouse were still being told they could not take unpaid leave and were expected to use their annual leave as mentioned.

The company said it did not have anything further to add when this was queried.

Retail trade union Usdaw said it was “deeply concerned” about the changes.

Michelle Byrne, Usdaw Area Organiser, said: “Regrettably, JD Sports continues to refuse to recognise Usdaw as the trade union for their staff, which means they do not discuss staffing matters with us.

“We are deeply concerned that what are understood to have been established practices around Christmas and New Year working appear not to have been followed this year and changes to procedures are being made with no apparent discussion with staff or Usdaw.

“Any Usdaw member who has concerns about their holiday arrangements, or any other issue, should contact the union and we will provide them with the advice and support they need.”