Convenience stores are handy when we need somewhere to pop into if we have forgotten to buy something. They also provide part-time jobs for thousands of people. A new report from Japan suggests that some stores are not so convenient for their workers. Japan's national broadcaster NHK says many part-time workers are given unrealistic sales quotas. Labor rights experts want stores to stop what they call an exploitative practice. There are reports of workers having hundreds of dollars deducted from salaries and having to buy unsold stock for not meeting their quotas.
An expert on Japanese labor law said deducting money from salaries for unmet quotas was against the law. He questioned why so many part-timers felt they had to buy unsold stock. He suggested it was because of pressure from stores. The expert asked the bosses of convenience stores to tackle this problem so that part-timers are not exploited. One worker said he was "drowning in quotas". Another said that he can lose up to 30% of his monthly salary. The biggest losses come with quotas for unsold seasonal items like Valentines goods and special sushi rolls.