BP is scrapping paid rest breaks and most bank holiday bonuses for its 5,400 petrol forecourt staff in a bid to offset rising living costs. The company has announced that it will be changing the benefits of its employees in February as part of its efforts to meet the Living Wage Foundation's fair pay scheme.
Under the new regime, hourly pay for affected workers will rise by 6.7% to £13.45, in line with the annually set minimum wage. However, this increase is expected to be largely offset by the removal of paid rest breaks and bank holiday premiums. According to calculations, an eight-hour shift without a break would see take-home pay decrease by at least 6.25%.
The move has been met with frustration from some workers, who claim that BP is trying to frame the announced increase in hourly pay as a new benefit rather than a replacement for lost breaks and bonuses. The company's decision has also raised concerns about employee rights and compensation.
As one source put it, "They were committed to implementing this increase every year since they signed up, but now they're framing it as a new benefit without offering any compensation or incentive to consent". This criticism is echoed by the TUC general secretary Paul Nowak, who says that workers are still feeling the effects of 14 years of Tory government and that BP's decision is "the worst possible time" for such a move.
The Living Wage Foundation's fair pay scheme aims to set a minimum wage that meets living costs. However, some employers have been using this as an excuse to cut paid breaks and other employee benefits in recent years.
Under the new regime, hourly pay for affected workers will rise by 6.7% to £13.45, in line with the annually set minimum wage. However, this increase is expected to be largely offset by the removal of paid rest breaks and bank holiday premiums. According to calculations, an eight-hour shift without a break would see take-home pay decrease by at least 6.25%.
The move has been met with frustration from some workers, who claim that BP is trying to frame the announced increase in hourly pay as a new benefit rather than a replacement for lost breaks and bonuses. The company's decision has also raised concerns about employee rights and compensation.
As one source put it, "They were committed to implementing this increase every year since they signed up, but now they're framing it as a new benefit without offering any compensation or incentive to consent". This criticism is echoed by the TUC general secretary Paul Nowak, who says that workers are still feeling the effects of 14 years of Tory government and that BP's decision is "the worst possible time" for such a move.
The Living Wage Foundation's fair pay scheme aims to set a minimum wage that meets living costs. However, some employers have been using this as an excuse to cut paid breaks and other employee benefits in recent years.
What's going on here? It seems like they're just trying to offset rising living costs by reducing employee benefits. I mean, I get it, companies need to adapt, but this is really harsh.
It's like they're taking a step back for us workers instead of forward. 
And honestly, £13.45 an hour doesn't sound like a lot when you consider how much more we need to live comfortably these days... it feels like they're just slapping a Band-Aid on the problem. 
for its staff. I mean, come on! 
They're just trying to sneak one over on us, aren't they? 
6.7% might seem like a lot, but if you're working long hours without breaks, it's not exactly a great deal 
. And the fact that they're framing this as a new benefit instead of a replacement for lost benefits is just shady 
. I'm with Paul Nowak 
on this one, 14 years of Tory gov is already taking a toll on workers, no need to make it worse 
. What's next? 
they're literally just getting a 6.7% pay rise but losing their break times and holiday pay like what's the point of that? 
.
. They're trying to say that increasing hourly pay is the only change, but it's actually a break (get it?) and bank holiday bonuses getting taken away 
... their take-home pay will just be like £13.45 out of £15 
. It's just not right that they're gettin' a 6.7% pay rise but it's not gonna make up for the fact that they're not gettin' breaks anymore 
. TUC is right, these workers are still feelin' the effects of the government's policies... 14 years is a long time & it's not fair that they're gettin' hit with another crunch 
. We can't just blame employees for being upset - they have every right to advocate for themselves 
. And maybe instead of finding ways to 'offset' living costs, employers could be focusing on how they can actually support their workers in the long run 
?
think they're being smart by increasing pay but basically taking away rest time, which is a huge part of work-life balance. its like they wanna make sure u get paid decent but still make u work urself to death 
. and honestly, ppl r right 2 say its the worst possible time 4 this kinda move, after 14 yrs of tory gov, workers should b feelin some love not just a slap in the face 
seriously though, 14 yrs of tory gov is already eating into workers' pay & benefits, now bp is trying to take even more away from them 
. workers need a break from the grind, literally! i get that living costs are up, but this is just another reason to push for better comp and benefits. can't we find a way to make sure ppl get paid fairly without sacrificing their sanity? 
It just doesn't seem fair. And I don't blame them for feeling frustrated - it's like BP is trying to trick them into thinking the higher pay is a new benefit instead of replacing what they're losing 
I wish there was a better way for BP to balance their books without messing with people's hard-earned time off 
bp's decision seems so harsh, like, yeah the hourly pay increase is a good thing, but what about the rest breaks & bank holidays?!