Sports Direct to elect worker to Board

Just over a year ago, Sports Direct were at the centre of a Guardian exposé, revealing the exacting working conditions the chain’s staff endured, including: harsh wage deductions, employee searches and zero-hour contracts.

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Now, under pressure to reform, the discount-retailer, headed by billionaire Mike Ashley, has caved into shareholder demands and started the process of appointing a worker representative to its Board – The Guardian reports. 

Applications for the first regular staff member to sit on the Board have opened, with Sports Direct keen to change its image after previous investigations into a series of employment malpractices. 

Candidates who make it through the assessment will be invited to stand in an election, in which all 23,000 staff will be eligible to vote. The position will be up for re-election every year.