Why Archaic Sunday Trading Rules Don’t Work for Students Today
Sunday trading appears to be a leftover relic from a different age; these restrictions are an unnecessary inconvenience, which I am consistently mystified by. As a university student my three main concerns are my grades, my friends and my finances. Whilst dedicating the week to my grades, I reserve my weekends for socialising and finances. However, archaic Sunday Trading laws infringe upon my individual freedom and often maintained due to long-standing cultural and social beliefs about Sundays being preserved as a family day. As a student I am several hundred miles away from my family and do not have the structure of a conventional family week. Therefore, I am being “protected” by a law, which is not applicable to me. An unconventional timetable merged with the spontaneous whirlwind of university life, means I would like the liberty to choose my own ‘rest day’.
Whilst some oppose the liberalision of Sunday trading out of concern that workers may feel pressured to work through the weekend, flexible hours are, in my case, a practical necessity to balance employment and academic commitments. Weekends, and Sundays in particular, are often the most convenient and desirable shifts, as evidenced by consistently oversubscribed rotas. Being required to finish early on a day with significant earning potential can therefore feel limiting. If I decide to relax, as I am not (and by no means will be), forced to work on a Sunday, then I perceive it as within my individual rights to select my own method of relaxation. Preferably I would choose to spend the day with my friends and not be limited in my leisure activities.
In a time of economic uncertainty with almost 40% of graduates still looking for work six months after graduation (Totaljobs.com) surely the government should be trying to maximise all opportunities for students like myself to work during university, in order to provide them with valuable skills and experience to equip them for the job search ahead as well as keeping their borrowings to a minimum. Many of my fellow students participate in societies and sports clubs on the weekends, and numerous times have we returned from these events late in the evening and had no food (or wine!). With my pitiful finances it is difficult to afford fast online delivery charges, and an unstructured schedule means that buying food for a week is not advantageous especially with perishable goods.This is particularly problematic after spending weekends at home with my family, after returning on a Sunday evening I find the only shop open is the campus convenience store where I am charged at a high mark up on the products I require.
I believe that there is no need for a ‘nanny state’ determining when and how I am allowed to spend my free time. It goes beyond convenience; it’s a matter of liberty.
Olivia, student at Exeter University