4 ms·

When I was in college and university I worked at one of the big supermarkets. There were many 'lifers' there, usually middle-aged women who had raised a family

When I was in college and university I worked at one of the big supermarkets. There were many 'lifers' there, usually middle-aged women who had raised a family and were bored of being at home all day. At the time the minimum wage for me was under £5 as I was under 22, but I got £6 per hour and £9 on Sunday and bank holidays - this was in a relatively cheap part of the country, I believe they paid more in London. The benefits were also pretty good compared to what I have had in corporate life since. If you wanted to go up the ladder the company provided training schemes to get you into supervisor and management roles - I think a degree was only required for the top levels, but again they provided support for that if that's what you wanted to do. At £9 per hour this 'living wage' works out to be a salary of £17,500. Considering as a developer in some parts of the UK £35,000 is a good salary, that seems pretty decent given this is for unskilled labour.

nly 11y ago
I have middle-aged female family members who work in a major UK supermarket, and I can tell you that conditions have deteriorated dramatically. The supermarket in question (it starts with a W) is no longer giving full-time (39 hour) staff regular contracted hours, switching to a system where their hours changes day by day, week by week. This wreaks havoc with family life. Furthermore staff who have been there long enough to get 1.5x or double pay on Sundays are no longer being given those hours. Overtime is also now non-existent. W is even hiring and training new 17 year staff for administrative roles because it's cheaper than paying older, more experienced, already trained, staff, who are contracted at a higher rate, for the hours they need them to do. The general feeling is people who have been there for 20-30 years are simply no longer wanted and seen as cost burdens. The supermarket industry is in a race to the bottom brought on by the likes of Lidl and Aldi
- oliwarner 11y ago
  There is an argument that if you can train a 17 year old in a couple of weeks to do the job of somebody who's been there 20 years, perhaps the experience shouldn't earn them more money. Just existing for a long time doesn't add value. You have to do more or do it better. I'm not for a minute suggesting that these lifers aren't performing their roles better, but when you can pay 4× 17 year olds on zero-hours contracts for the price of one long-term manager, the sums become hard to ignore. I don't think it has very much to do with Lidl and Aldi at all. Supermarkets have sucked every corner of their supply chain and workforce dry to get the most profit and biggest market share. That level of competition is going to take its toll. It's a shame W is the one you mention though. I always thought they were more expensive because they were better to their staff.

nly 11y ago

I have middle-aged female family members who work in a major UK supermarket, and I can tell you that conditions have deteriorated dramatically. The supermarket in question (it starts with a W) is no longer giving full-time (39 hour) staff regular contracted hours, switching to a system where their hours changes day by day, week by week. This wreaks havoc with family life. Furthermore staff who have been there long enough to get 1.5x or double pay on Sundays are no longer being given those hours. Overtime is also now non-existent. W is even hiring and training new 17 year staff for administrative roles because it's cheaper than paying older, more experienced, already trained, staff, who are contracted at a higher rate, for the hours they need them to do. The general feeling is people who have been there for 20-30 years are simply no longer wanted and seen as cost burdens. The supermarket industry is in a race to the bottom brought on by the likes of Lidl and Aldi

oliwarner 11y ago
There is an argument that if you can train a 17 year old in a couple of weeks to do the job of somebody who's been there 20 years, perhaps the experience shouldn't earn them more money. Just existing for a long time doesn't add value. You have to do more or do it better. I'm not for a minute suggesting that these lifers aren't performing their roles better, but when you can pay 4× 17 year olds on zero-hours contracts for the price of one long-term manager, the sums become hard to ignore. I don't think it has very much to do with Lidl and Aldi at all. Supermarkets have sucked every corner of their supply chain and workforce dry to get the most profit and biggest market share. That level of competition is going to take its toll. It's a shame W is the one you mention though. I always thought they were more expensive because they were better to their staff.