Asda owners the billionaire Issa brothers are trialling a four-day week at the supermarket in a bid to crack down on a revolt among disgruntled store managers.
As the grocery giant faces challenges from cost cuts and cultural concerns, it hopes hopes the move will mend relationships with managers who are “leaving in their droves”.
The Telegraph reported that a presentation released late last year revealed details of Asda’s “leadership structure trial”, as management raised concerns over a 13.9% rise in turnover among retail managers in 2022.
The presentation said the gradual loss of staff has “impacted the stability and capability of our teams in store which in turn has impacted the colleague experience and by extension our customers”.
Subscribe to Retail Gazette for free
Sign up here to get the latest news straight into your inbox each morning
According the Telegraph, in the presentation Asda said it is actively advocating a “case for change” among store managers.
The ongoing trial of a four-day workweek, slated to conclude later this month, which will also include experimenting with other flexible working arrangements, such as shorter shifts.
It comes as scrutiny continues to build regarding the current running of Asda, as its growing debt pile weighs on the business and its market share lags behind rivals Tesco and Sainsbury’s.
By early 2024, the supermarket is set to see its debt interest bill exceed £400m, driven by escalating interest rates that are piling pressure on the private equity-owned supermarket.
Click here to sign up to Retail Gazette‘s free daily email newsletter
So many colleagues left asda too since issa brothers took over from walmart.not nice place to work any longer & management & sl just don’t care
SL do care but their workload is increasing daily with Colleagues not being replaced. They are having to do the jobs of several colleagues due to Asda cutting wage budgets. They expect us to deliver no matter what, unrealistic expectations demands & not a thought goes into our wellbeing. The job is becoming more & more stressful with no quick solution. We are not listened to & nothing changes. This goes for all colleagues. Store Managers are only interested in getting their bonus which the colleagues who do the work no longer get.
Asda is getting worse by the day. Customers are coming into stores that are not ready for opening with aisles not filled & stock all over the shop. It’s embarrassing for the colleagues to have to hear customers complain about everything on a daily basis.
I totally agree with all, you have said a myself being on tills being told all day and having to apologise for everything
Not only supermarket getting rid of shopfloor workers, Waitrose doing the same
I hear you, and agree with you! As a customer, the shopping experience in Asda over the last 12 months in particular is at rock bottom. I can see the staff are stressed. I hope you get a fix with this
Worked for asda 25 years never known it to be so toxic, so many managers and colleagues off with stress, they have halfed college numbers but still expect the same amount of work to be done, store budgets cut to the point we buying asda smart price toilet rolls in colleague toilets, prices are so high that they wonder why we loosing customers all because the brothers saddled Asda with a massive debt when they brought us and now saddled us with more debt buying their petrol stations as they couldn’t afford to pay the intrest rates can see Asda going into liquidation and the brothers walk away scott free with their other businesses
It’s shocking
CEO from top of Asda to the gsm management in store do nothing nights shift is toxic place to work management don’t care staff don’t care moral is rubbish worse than being at school Glasgow goven nights worse store in Scotland to work for poor management rotten gsm toxic
Asda will end up like wilco when these two crooks of brothers are finished asset stripping and syphoning off the billions into jersey . Police need to look at the finances now before its too late
Head down, mouth closed, work done! You’ll do alright! To make a sensible wage you have to make the hours..
I know what it like I work nights they don’t care no more I should nt work on a certain department for health reasons but they put me on it oc health sent them a email
I shop at Sainsbury’s now Asda gone very downhill
I agree 28 years I worked at asda in Peterborough the last 3years were horrible so made the decision and moved on…
Miserable place to work. Management talk to staff like they’re worthless. One person expected to do 3 people’s work. Horrible environment to be in day in day out.
Definitely agree the management are rubbish do not support colleagues at all
Driving us into the ground. Workloads impossible and conditions are poor. Colleagues are buckling. Stores not safe or care about safety. Shoplifting rife colleagues and managers put at risk. 24/7
I loved working at asda did for 8 years allowing inexperienced younger adults to become section leaders who can’t cope have childish attitudes bickering and bitching people leaving who have been there from day one leaving should tell them something surely! Good people leave because of bad management end off!
I’ve worked there for 15 years never seen the company run thus badly no staff disgusting
30+ years with Asda, was with them when we were days away from going bust. The last 2 years have been the worst I have ever experienced. Even basic processes are not getting done because there are no staff to do them. How many items are priced wrong on the shelf.
Managers are put under a lot of pressure too, we have had some just walk out the door mid shift leaving the store with no manager on site.
It’s really sad to hear the plight of the people that, at the end of the day, made Asda what it was.
However every large retailer (with the odd exception) is doing the same thing. The Fraser group, Next and most others are so focused on cutting costs that they are killing their business and their staff.
Over the last 30 years, training for managers and staff has been practically wiped out to the point staff have to do it on a laptop at home!
It’s time retail staff got together (even though the unions aren’t up to much) and worked on a better overall deal for the 3M retail staff in the UK. The bubble of compliance from staff is about to burst!
And the motto of the story …… beware of corner shop dudes without a scoobie thieving the market.
It’s a clear case of “The Iceberg of Ignorance”.
4% of problems are known to Top Management.
96% of problems are NOT known to Top Management.
9% of problems are known to Middle Management.
74% of problems are known to Supervisors.
100% of problems are known to frontline workers.
On top of that, dictatorial, top down, fear management structure ensures total chaos at the end of the day.
It is amazing that such organisations survive in this day and age.
A consistent programme of change management is needed at ASDA. Implementing a 4 day week will only exacerbate the load on line managers and staff.
We have the answer at Stepping Stone Global.
Asda colleagues telling me prices are higher due to thefts in store and whatever% of thefts is then put on stock to make up for thefts. Fosters beer £12 a case yet Asda £15/16 yet it’s bought in bulk so should be cheaper and is not part of new alcohol tax.
ASDA in my location Elgin are making staff with long service 25 years plus redundant. Staff don’t give a shit anymore and I don’t blame any of the staff. I believe they won’t last the rest of the year.
I have worked for asda for the last 22yrs. There are days when I am doing 3 jobs at once. Running checkouts ,doing parcels running scan & go. And trying to help in the trolley & basket shop. All without a manger or section leader . And according to my wage I am nether one of those. Not only management that’s stressed. I am sure they have turned the heating off as well. You shouldn’t have to work with hat’s, gloves on. Just to keep warm
No one seems happy to work there any more more, work, less pay, people forget during the Pandemic everyone was clapping the NHS, shops were closed, BUT NOT THE SUPERMARKETS we at Asda had no choice yes we had face masks screens put up, but staff were still dropping like flys during Covid AND STILL ARE, yet pay was reduced, staff left, but were not replaced, making our workload more and more difficult for each of us, Bonuses taken away, location money taken away, yet no one thinks of the little people that work in the supermarket that are only allowed 2 days off a year Christmas Day & Boxing Day that are not included in the holiday pay, staff going in at 5am to get the bread baked don’t get anymore for this, but they have to do as they don’t have the time or staff to help out due to cut backs and not replacing staff, yes people may say you only work in a supermarket, BUT the staff are financially abused. But you never see supermarket staff going on strike god forbid think about it during the pandemic, if we didn’t work then you would have no access to food at all, yet we are the lowest paid workers and just get on with it regardless without any recognition from the public, yep just your local supermarket worker. The ones that are just forgotten serving in all weathers, pandemics, yet no one thinks of us, the little people…….
I worked directly with Mohsin Issa at Asda and it’s sad to see that a once great company is slowly being killed both financially and culturally. The owners greed and creative financing will see many more great colleagues leaving, with those remaining feeling even less valued. Prices have gone through the roof and the stores are filthy and lacking colleagues. Tesco and Sainsbury’s are no doubt the Issa Brothers biggest fans!
I used to use Asda but they’re the biggest thieves of all. No wonder many consumers prefer alternatives.
Wait till February, mass exodus of store managers when the bonus is paid off.
Four day week is scrapped already, fire fighting every day. Save wages , save wages.
Got two hands two legs, you will get promoted in Asda, next man up , so sad , was a great company
Getting rid of sections leader as well to save money
It’s interesting how the directors STILL AREN’T LISTENING.
Are people leaving because they want to work 4 days a week? On the whole NO.
Read the comments here and people are saying its a horrible place to work with a miserable toxic culture. Whether it’s 5 days, 4 days or 3 days if its a horrible place to work no one will stay.
They need to revisit the detail of why people are finding it a horrible place to spend half their life in.