Asda has unveiled three change proposals which could affect staff shift patterns and put almost 300 jobs at risk.
As part of its efforts to improve customer experience in its stores and drive sustainable future growth, the Big 4 grocer is proposing to replace overnight ambient and frozen shifts in 184 smaller superstores.
Colleagues will intstead restock ambient products between 7pm and midnight and frozen products between 7am and 1pm and as a result, more colleagues would be on the shop floor during opening hours.
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This also follows trials which Asda said delivered improvements in customer satisfaction and product availability.
However, if this proposal goes ahead, it could lead to the removal of up to 211 night shift manager roles and a change to working patterns for around 4,137 hourly-paid colleagues.
While the number of hours available for staff to work in each store would remain unchanged, it would see the removal of night shift paid premium to these colleagues on top of their hourly rate.
Asda is also proposing to reduce opening hours for all 23 in-store Post Office branches by 25%, following a decline in the number of customers using the service, which would affect 23 salaried Post Office Managers and 200 hourly-paid colleagues.
As a result of low customer usage, the supermarket giant is also putting forward the idea of closing seven of its 254 in-store pharmacies which would affect 48 hourly-paid colleagues in 14 pharmacists.
“The retail sector is evolving at pace and it is vital we review changing customer preferences, along with our own ways of working, to ensure we are operating as efficiently as possible, so that we can continue to invest and grow our business,” Asda retail director, Ken Towle said.
“We are now entering a period of consultation with our colleagues on these proposals. We recognise this will be a difficult time for them and will do all we can to support them through this process.”
