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Next overturns equal pay ruling requiring higher shop basic pay

The ruling overturns only the issue of basic pay, while parts of Next’s challenge failed on night-time pay, overtime, rest breaks and Sunday premiums.

Reported · Written up by our desk · North America

UK retailer Next has overturned a 2024 equal pay court ruling that would have required it to pay shop workers the same higher basic pay rates as its warehouse employees, according to the Guardian Business.

Next said it succeeded in an appeal to the employment appeal tribunal on the key issue of basic pay. The company argued shop and warehouse roles faced different market conditions and working patterns, and said recruitment and retention pressures justified paying warehouse staff a higher market rate.

The original case followed a six-year legal fight won by 3,540 claimants two years ago, and the wider litigation has since grown, with more than 6,400 claimants now involved. Next employs more than 20,000 store staff across 458 stores in the UK and Ireland.

Leigh Day, which represents Next store workers, described the decision as a mixed ruling, saying the tribunal rejected Next’s challenge to findings on night-time pay, overtime pay and the failure to provide paid rest breaks for store workers. The appeal tribunal also did not accept Next’s arguments for lower Sunday premium payments.

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