KFC staff asked to take holiday during restaurant closures

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KFC employees have been asked to take annual leave to cover the working time they have lost following chicken supply issues that have affected hundreds of outlets. According to the GMB union, hundreds of KFC staff were left not knowing when they would return to work after a decision to change its logistics supplier to DHL Supply Chain affected chicken deliveries to outlets across the UK, forcing them to close. A KFC spokesperson said that workers were being encouraged to take holiday during the closures, but would not be forced to do so. Staff on short-term contracts in KFC-owned restaurants would be paid the average hours worked per day over the past 12 weeks, while staff on salaried contracts would be paid as normal. Around 80% of KFC restaurants are franchises, which KFC has encouraged to adopt the same policy for paying staff. Mick Rix, GMB national officer, said: “Our members in KFC franchises are missing out on shifts with no idea when their stores will reopen. “They’ve told us they’re now being advised to use their holiday entitlement to cover the working time they’ve lost as a result of this mess. “For a multi-billion pound global giant to treat workers at the sharp end like dirt because of their foul-up is a disgrace. These companies need to stop chickening out of their responsibilities in the aftermath of this shocking board-level decision.” Under the Working Time Regulations 1998,