What changes will January bring

[Duff McKagan]

It will be interesting to see how this 4 nights a week issue will work out, the night manager and night shift leaders in my store all work 4 nights and are more than happy with it. They have never been told it was a trial either and some of them only applied for the jobs because it was 4 nights rather than 5. I wouldn't be surprised in the least bit to see some of them step down over it.

[oldfashionedplayer]

well thats the thing, theres been numerous mentions of it the daily news and quarterly feedback of the trial and why.. So it's been available and in sight for both colleagues and managers to view, especially if they followed the normal tesco routine and hadn't had any briefing about it? though being offered 4 days would be a fishy thing to begin with for anyone, given how much they always want them in 

they mentioned it in the q3 quarterly about difficulty being able to retain night managers so the 4 night trial would continue until the end of the financial year and then the findings would be reviewed after christmas and if successful, launch in week 1.

So should be briefs coming up or now? given that week 1 is i believe 4th March? So be something to raise for more answers perhaps?

[lucgeo]

with nights it is not about being a customer assistant it is about the hours being significantly changed that would attract redundancy, a wages clerk is just a ga on a computer  with a skills payment, who can be moved to most places around the store, i am sure tesco are working within the law.

You're partly correct. A Wages Clerk is not "just a GA on a computer" there's a reason for that skills payment. And, this Wages Clerk has made MORE management decisions over the years than some of our actual managers

The skills payment is left over from when the wages clerk came under the umbrella with CSD and did a helluva lot more than they do now! Why would a wages clerk think they have the knowledge or indeed the authority to make any management decisions 

Moving nights onto days or twighlight shifts is not so straightforward. There is a set timeframe window whereby changing shift hours in excess of those timeframes would be unreasonable.

Asking a clerk to leave their ivory tower to go work down in the badlands amongst the shopfloor riff raff, working relatively similar contracted hours, is not deemed a redundancy option.

Wages clerks are not idiots you know! From experience gained from a previous employment is where I gained the knowledge, and the fact that a good majority of the managers that I have worked with over the years in my role are barely through puberty, or can't organise their way out of a paper bag, or both and come to me to do their thinking for them so that they can take the credit. Also there's no "ivory tower", I just have a different kind of customer.

And to be clear, I've seen these changes coming for quite a while now, so I'm not a bit surprised. But I WILL take issue when I'm asked for advice, or to fix something because a manager has screwed it up

I don't disagree with you in part...but like many you became a victim of your own success and ability.

As an old timer who was trained on many departments, I had more knowledge than most new managers, a lot of who were such due to favouritism or nepotism. If I was asked to help, I'd offer to show them ONCE, so they knew what to do the next time...it was known as "sharing the knowledge" if they asked again I'd tell them to try and do it whilst I looked on. One only learns from practice, not by passing the buck.

At the beginning in my store, my store manager had worked his way up from a Saturday lad, the section managers were moved around departments every 18 months and the wages clerk worked every Saturday to ensure they were available for weekend workers who had wage issues.

Fast forward and the managers are now young and inexperienced, only knowing their own department's basics. They don't have the experience or confidence to speak out or challenge. The only GA's with the most hours are related to the store manager who doesn't know how to use a PA or navigate it through the options to read or check a product profile.

The wage clerk was on 30 hours, Monday - Friday finishing at 4 pm. They were sat in the confidential room that was coded entry management access only! They were far too busy and important to do a rumble and were unapproachable during their break as they were (rightly so) "on their break!" and they only sat with management on the managers table...didn't have one of them back in the day either!

[filling-machine]

So I'm a night manager, around this 4 day a week working the briefing never stated this was a trial and even gave us our hours if we chose to go down to a 4 night week. We've had no official word on this being pulled apart from what's been on here. Me amongst other managers in our area are thinking of putting a grievance in, was wondering if others are doing the same?

This is the email that the union sent out a couple of days ago.......

Tesco Stores – Four Night Working Trial Update

As you may be aware, the Company has been trialling 4-night working in a number of stores for several months. While the Union originally welcomed this trial, as we know that this is a working pattern that many of our members are interested in working, we were not directly involved and had little to no input into its operation. Given this, the Company have now informed us that the trial has now concluded, and they have decided that they will not be continuing this way of working and there will be a return to 5-night working for full time night Lead Managers, Team Managers and Shift Leaders in these stores from Week 4.

The Union is incredibly disappointed in this decision and has urged the Company to explore other options for the nights' working pattern that will provide a better work life balance and involve and consult with the Union more widely on how a different operation could work. To be clear, the decision not to extend or roll out this trial is solely that of the business and not one that has had any agreement from the trade union, however I wanted to ensure Reps were updated on this.

Regards,

Daniel Adams
National Officer
 

Usdaw, Head Office, Voyager Building
2 Furness Quay, Salford Quays
Manchester, M50 3XZ.

To ensure delivery into your inbox, please add
communications@web.usdaw.org.uk to your address book.
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Usdaw
www.usdaw.org.uk
The Union of Shop, Distributive & Allied Workers

[filling-machine]

And yes, last year's briefing stated that night management teams WOULD be given the option to work over 4 nights. Details were supposed to follow after last year's consultation ended (i.e April!). Its not difficult to make it work with a bit of investment into night teams, but Tesco haven't invested into salaried night premium in about 15 years, so f all chance they'd spend even £1 to make this work........

[penguin]

Let's face it a vast majority of the big wigs in Tesco wouldn't have a clue how the day to day running of a store went and would be shocked if they witnessed things .. it's like when a store gets wind of a senior management visit so they paper over the cracks and make everything look pretty so store manager looks that little bit better you never see said senior management speaking to general assistants asking how they feel ..

Always been like that, we had a director visit back in 2018, in the days leading up to said visit parts of the store were painted. All the weeds and a dead tree dug up from the carpark, leaking water cistern in the toilets finally fixed after several years. The day of the visit and loads of staff in on overtime everything running like clock work. As soon as the director was gone those of us on overtime sent home and told would we take it as time back not pay so store did not go over payroll budget.

[Doggiedoodle]

with nights it is not about being a customer assistant it is about the hours being significantly changed that would attract redundancy, a wages clerk is just a ga on a computer  with a skills payment, who can be moved to most places around the store, i am sure tesco are working within the law.

You're partly correct. A Wages Clerk is not "just a GA on a computer" there's a reason for that skills payment. And, this Wages Clerk has made MORE management decisions over the years than some of our actual managers

The skills payment is left over from when the wages clerk came under the umbrella with CSD and did a helluva lot more than they do now! Why would a wages clerk think they have the knowledge or indeed the authority to make any management decisions 

Moving nights onto days or twighlight shifts is not so straightforward. There is a set timeframe window whereby changing shift hours in excess of those timeframes would be unreasonable.

Asking a clerk to leave their ivory tower to go work down in the badlands amongst the shopfloor riff raff, working relatively similar contracted hours, is not deemed a redundancy option.

Wages clerks are not idiots you know! From experience gained from a previous employment is where I gained the knowledge, and the fact that a good majority of the managers that I have worked with over the years in my role are barely through puberty, or can't organise their way out of a paper bag, or both and come to me to do their thinking for them so that they can take the credit. Also there's no "ivory tower", I just have a different kind of customer.

And to be clear, I've seen these changes coming for quite a while now, so I'm not a bit surprised. But I WILL take issue when I'm asked for advice, or to fix something because a manager has screwed it up

I don't disagree with you in part...but like many you became a victim of your own success and ability.

As an old timer who was trained on many departments, I had more knowledge than most new managers, a lot of who were such due to favouritism or nepotism. If I was asked to help, I'd offer to show them ONCE, so they knew what to do the next time...it was known as "sharing the knowledge" if they asked again I'd tell them to try and do it whilst I looked on. One only learns from practice, not by passing the buck.

At the beginning in my store, my store manager had worked his way up from a Saturday lad, the section managers were moved around departments every 18 months and the wages clerk worked every Saturday to ensure they were available for weekend workers who had wage issues.

Fast forward and the managers are now young and inexperienced, only knowing their own department's basics. They don't have the experience or confidence to speak out or challenge. The only GA's with the most hours are related to the store manager who doesn't know how to use a PA or navigate it through the options to read or check a product profile.

The wage clerk was on 30 hours, Monday - Friday finishing at 4 pm. They were sat in the confidential room that was coded entry management access only! They were far too busy and important to do a rumble and were unapproachable during their break as they were (rightly so) "on their break!" and they only sat with management on the managers table...didn't have one of them back in the day either!

it sounds like my old store this! 😳

[oldfashionedplayer]

Let's face it a vast majority of the big wigs in Tesco wouldn't have a clue how the day to day running of a store went and would be shocked if they witnessed things .. it's like when a store gets wind of a senior management visit so they paper over the cracks and make everything look pretty so store manager looks that little bit better you never see said senior management speaking to general assistants asking how they feel ..

Always been like that, we had a director visit back in 2018, in the days leading up to said visit parts of the store were painted. All the weeds and a dead tree dug up from the carpark, leaking water cistern in the toilets finally fixed after several years. The day of the visit and loads of staff in on overtime everything running like clock work. As soon as the director was gone those of us on overtime sent home and told would we take it as time back not pay so store did not go over payroll budget.

ours is like that too, had one recently and all the fridges that had been leaking for 2 years often flooding the aisle had miraculously had a quick repair to them, gate was fixed at the back, overtime was being thrown around like $1"s at a club... All backstock done, all day managers in from 4am ready for the 8am visit 

Last time i saw the store like that, it was a refit    

[Employee79]

well thats the thing, theres been numerous mentions of it the daily news and quarterly feedback of the trial and why.. So it's been available and in sight for both colleagues and managers to view, especially if they followed the normal tesco routine and hadn't had any briefing about it? though being offered 4 days would be a fishy thing to begin with for anyone, given how much they always want them in 

they mentioned it in the q3 quarterly about difficulty being able to retain night managers so the 4 night trial would continue until the end of the financial year and then the findings would be reviewed after christmas and if successful, launch in week 1.

So should be briefs coming up or now? given that week 1 is i believe 4th March? So be something to raise for more answers perhaps?

Anyone know what stores had the trial?

[amcarruthers]

More stores to lose nights, main bank checkouts opening times restricted and losing premiums would be my guesses.

Also feel Admin, Wages and Cash Office tasks could be scaled back even more.
[/quote
Wages is going, admin staying cash office hours to be scaled back. Anyone know who the alternative colleagues will be that will be doing wages as well as managers.. all I can say is we need to be double checking our pay from now on

[Nightproduceworker]

So Far the rumblings rumours, confirmations to what is happening in Tesco.

.Night managers staying on 5 nights

.Bakery going to part Bake

.Wage clerk role removed or reduced

.Back door hours cut

.Tesco moving all stores 7am to
11pm

.More checkouts going to self scan

.Night premium cuts

Now from my store down in Kent, not a single peep has been said about any of this going on, normally no news is good news, but I feel the news has not even come out yet. Nothing on the new pay either.

Looking at most above, our bakery have so much waste I'm surprised it has not been scratched sooner. We are pretty dead most mornings at 6am and upto 11pm so I wouldn't be shocked to see hours open and close times moved.

You get couple regulars, but nothing major. What would these hours mean for nights, I'd say more will be removed, with early starts to fill. We already have .com come in a fill then go onto a 3/4 hour .com shift providing the hours are there.

We moan alot about our evenings nit being handed over good enough, sitting on too much stock is a major problem in our store. Move nights to twilights would fix this, moving delivery times, which most double deckers come in earlier than the single lorry at around 10pm/11pm.

Most of our night crew don't think it would work, of course it would. Because we would be the ones filling the backstock and then gaps from the double decker for availability. Morning would pick up the single lorry and fill the rest of the day. That cuts your night premium down to half or more depending the times shifts of twighlight hours. We have roughly 10 full timers on nights, which I'm surprised those haven't made the cut over the last couple year so tesco go on a pay as you go shift pattern.

Can't comment much on wage clerks, but managers do most exceptions. But if it was managers to do those roles, more hours put into day filling, the more likely nights go.

Most intriguing thing coming up this year along with tesco bank being sold, they face a big equal pay battle.

I think the no news is not necessarily good news, but wish there was something concrete as its all rumours and here say.

[oldfashionedplayer]

Confirmed at ours that wages going, bakery also gone, ours wasn't a trial store but they knew the 4 days wouldn't be rolled out cause it's what they wanted 

Night lead won't be returning to nights at ours so far from what's been said.

More checkouts going self scan is a known thing as its called project river, they are rolling it out over a few years it seems? So you'll get the checkouts like asda where you do it yourself, fun.

[kaled78]

some stores already have the self scan checkouts for trolley shops,it's an easy win for tesco,as all they do is turn the screen around to face the customer,update the software and hey ho,no need for a cashier

[Captain001]

Does anyone know how this will affect the pay rise?Also has anyone heard anything cause their was a meeting planned then it's been put back to early March?

[Mickymouse1962]

If there changing all stops to 7 till people have the right to say they can't do certain hours like me I care for family member cant change my hours

[Misery]

Does anyone know how this will affect the pay rise?Also has anyone heard anything cause their was a meeting planned then it's been put back to early March?

How what will affect the pay rise?

[Sherwoodforest]

@mickeymouse1962 id wait to see if it gets announced first,im sure theyd let you drop an hour or pick on dot com,fill for an hour before starting on security at 7,

[odif]

Does anyone know how this will affect the pay rise?Also has anyone heard anything cause their was a meeting planned then it's been put back to early March?

How what will affect the pay rise?

Have you heard what pay rise will be?

[lja]

Does anyone have the official comms for the wage clerk role disappearing? I am a wage clerk and have just been told jobs going but not actually been shown/given any info regarding this.

[ll]

There is a stop start continue on Comms that explains the time scales and the redistribution of the wages role.

[lja]

There is a stop start continue on Comms that explains the time scales and the redistribution of the wages role.

I don't have access to comms could you post it or send it please

[TheAnonymousWorker]

If there changing all stops to 7 till people have the right to say they can't do certain hours like me I care for family member cant change my hours

If you're a 6am start and now your store doesn't open until 7am and you say you can't change to an hour later start, you'll just be sent to pack from 6-7, simple as, you're a Tesco Colleague and the company can do that based on your contract

[spike_pkh]

Our night managers have ATC'd their comments about the 4 night working week, not that this will have any effect.

Tesco needs to start looking after their night teams instead of ignoring their needs.

[rupert7]

just may be this is to our stores soon,Lidl is introducing electronic shelf labels to all its stores by the end of the year,when they do that they dont need many staff going around,but it,s all to do with saving money,that brings me on to my next question what will they do about nights its become a joke some nights we lack a full teams due to hoildays or off sick,so what little of us left to do the work to get the store ready for the morning trade, we are all over the place.? the days of people wanting to work nights are over because tesco in its wisdom has made it less appealing by cutting back on premiums for nights staff,and the youngster rather partying on week-ends,in other words we have had a few new starters but they find the work to hard and dont last long,the majority of the night staff are over age of 40 plus so when we have all gone, aand some of us will soon be retiring ,we have also found that some times night staff feel left out and our needs being innored,in fairness some of the  youngster have spent a few days on nights, but they all say the same thing they found it very hard on nights,so what will tesco do about nights in its present state?

[madness]

European co-ops in the swiss alps have electronic labels and shelves. It has been round for years.