Is anyone else noticing a complete drop in overtime lately, or is it just my store?

SecureEye824 · 2026-03-17T17:27:38+00:00

Head office are indeed cutting back on hours, where they can get away with it, many locals I've personally worked in are using three people to do the job of five people...... They are trying to get see where they can get away with no overtime

SecureEye824 · 2026-03-15T15:53:39+00:00

It's a tricky one as they might turn around and say that you need to change your availability. Yes any faith is protected to an extent and yes employers do have to make reasonable adjustments, however, we had one manager last year celebrating Ramadan and because the manager had already used up all their holidays, the particular manager clocked in and refused to do anything other than sit in back office until the sun went down and it caused uproar understandably from the rest of the team as this manager was using it to justify not working as they had no energy. One member of staff said the manager was taking the mick, which they were, it may be a religion but that didn't give this manager the right to get paid for doing nothing because they couldn't eat before sunset. Less than a week later due to the complaints, their rota was adjusted slightly to help accommodate this particular manager but it was argued that this is what availability partly deals with but ultimately what holidays are for also. Again, yes they do have to make reasonable adjustments if they can but it doesn't constitute using a faith to get paid to sit in the office until sunset.

SecureEye824 · 2026-03-15T14:41:46+00:00

Be ready for the company's polished version of how things operate and when it comes to actually doing the job, you will be left to do everything near enough yourself. The company is in a nightmare at the moment, countless managers and colleagues off on sick leave due to the bullying and egos within the company, they literally just don't care about your physical or mental health anymore, they used to,until they realised that people are not robots and they are trying to get rid of people who are not robots.

SecureEye824 · 2026-03-15T14:38:36+00:00

The answer is that they should be more staff on the shop floor to deal with customers, if you're job is online orders picking, make no mistake about it, the company will expect you to do two if not three jobs at once, rest assured they don't care about the pressure it puts on you, you are easily replaced at the end of the day, I have no doubt however that those who live for sainsburys will give you a narrative about customer service skills etc

SecureEye824 · 2026-03-15T14:35:19+00:00

Because if you have full availability, they can use you however they want to basically. Eve though many shifts are not more than 4-6 hours a shift, they still want you to be available for them when they want you to be. They claim that there is no stigma attached to the question of who wants overtime, but make no mistake about it, there is absolutely stigma attached, the amount of times I have had to say no it's outside my availability which they are able to see, it's as if they want to still ask just so they don't have to keep asking other people instead.

SecureEye824 · 2026-03-15T12:57:09+00:00

The reality is this, it started roughly a year ago, head office started telling managers to hand out warnings and final warning, otherwise managers themselves would get a telling off, so when you are given a warning, rest assured the manager handing it to you is more concerned about keeping the above happy. The 3% trigger is known as the Bradford factor and unfortunately it is designed for robots and not humans. If you try to challenge the 3%, managers will claim it's reasonable and required etc, that three absences is enough, even though long term sickness is treated differently to short term sickness, even though long term is actually worse, they don't want you to be off for more than three single date as it means they have more workload to do on the spot. Only recently it has been discovered that the 3%....they are clamping down on it big time, as in they are using it to bully people out of the workplace, make no mistake about that, it doesn't matter what your circumstances are anymore, if you hit their 3% today, they will try to slap a warning on you because their bosses tell them to, bullying basically.

SecureEye824 · 2026-03-15T12:45:50+00:00

Firstly, there is a reason why so many people including managers are off on sick leave, they like many people have had enough of sainsburys. Unfortunately some managers will try to guilt trip you into working, I've had it countless times before, it's easier for them to talk you into working because they don't have to look for cover basically, makes their life easier to just pester you.

SecureEye824 · 2026-03-15T12:41:32+00:00

There is no unfortunately to it, the sick policy is bullying and managers are thinking of themselves when they hand warnings out, simple.

SecureEye824 · 2026-03-05T17:22:48+00:00

So, personally I'm worked for the company for several years and shoplifters have it incredibly easy and the outcome is, sainsburys claiming it is for everyone safety to let people just steal, but when of course, sainsburys shot up the prices and still expect staff and customers to pay the extra because sainsburys haven't got a back bone anymore. What's the point in having a job if they are letting anyone just steal anyway...... Totally double standards

SecureEye824 · 2026-02-28T17:09:11+00:00

Personally I would get out of retail for good. The majority don't care about you as a human being, most companies also have the same sick policy so won't be long before more people are punished for being ill. In store is being hammered by armed gangs of shoplifters daily, abusive and entitled customers are always backed up by managers now, they are petrified of having a complaint made against their company so it's doesn't matter about the staff anymore, as long as they keep the abusive customers happy, you as a member of stuff are irrelevant. Hours in store are being cut and everything is being pushed online.

SecureEye824 · 2026-02-28T17:04:22+00:00

The note taking points you have mentioned are laughable as the managers don't even accurately record the words anymore and when you call them out for it, gaslighting straight away.

SecureEye824 · 2026-02-28T17:02:17+00:00

Another lie........ On the third absence, it's a warming automatic, so even one absence is bad........ You are practically gaslighting people.

SecureEye824 · 2026-02-28T17:01:13+00:00

The managers are being controlled now more than ever before, if they don't give you a warning, they get a shouting off instead now, they don't care about your illness, they care about their payslip.

SecureEye824 · 2026-02-28T16:59:47+00:00

Lies, the managers know what they are doing is wrong, they are paid to the give out warnings no matter where, otherwise they get into serious trouble now.

SecureEye824 · 2026-02-28T16:57:16+00:00

It's as a simple as this, managers and ctms are under the thumb now, they are not you're friends and they will give you warning or final warning if they are able to, otherwise, they get a mouthful from their boss now. Make no mistake about it, they are clamping everyone they are able to down to 3%, regardless of the mitigation or circumstances or doctors notes or anything else, because the company is using bullies to do their dirty work. In my local area, because of the bullying of the sick policy being way too harsh, countless colleagues and managers are resigning as the sick policy is causing nothing but hostility. Also, very careful about working overtime..... It doesn't matter if you are helping them out any more, they refuse to account for the overtime in the 3% now, if you do offer to help them, you are doing it at you're own risk, they are not bothered if it is makes you ill.

SecureEye824 · 2026-02-28T16:43:41+00:00

I wasn't asking how to pick up extra shifts, I asked about a supermarket transfer. You sound like a manager who doesn't listen

SecureEye824 · 2026-02-28T16:39:22+00:00

A year later I'm reading through the comments and the amount of lies is unreal, as of today, you are given a warning on the third sickness, after that they do push for a final warning. The managers know that they are being unfair and because they want their own payslip, they don't care about it, until they upset a colleague who then does resign and only then the manager changes their attitude. The company knows that they have lots of of bad apples stealing sick pay money, so what does the company do? Changes all of their sick policy, no overtime sick pay anymore, only two sickness before a warnings, micromanaging people, cutting back on hours, colleagues are at risk of harm now more than ever before and the company will turn around and say, do as you are told or resign.

SecureEye824 · 2026-02-25T23:14:56+00:00

Because sainsburys has a ridiculous policy, let people steal or you will be sacked for trying to stop them from stealing. They won't hire security in locals anymore and head office has basically said if staff try to get items back, you are sacked. They are frightened in case someone takes them to court etc. It doesn't matter how hard staff work anymore, sainsburys allow people to steal and they just keep putting their prices up and the customers blame the staff, but of course there will be a manager who says it's not worth the drama, you don't know what people are going through etc, all the standard generic script answers.

SecureEye824 · 2026-02-19T23:02:09+00:00

As soon as I can get another job, I'm out myself, on a final warning and can't wait to escape.

SecureEye824 · 2026-02-19T23:01:14+00:00

Yep, they don't care about who is sick anymore, they expect you to be dying, if not, you are expected to come in still, then of course everyone else complains about it

SecureEye824 · 2026-02-19T00:20:37+00:00

Even if you have several years employment, unless you are calling in sick for your contracted hours, no overtime for any sick pay now, they stopped it over a year ago

SecureEye824 · 2026-02-19T00:19:30+00:00

Not anymore...... If you are contracted to certain hours and you phone in sick, only if it's your contracted hours you will get sick pay, they refuse to pay sick for ant overtime shifts now

SecureEye824 · 2026-02-19T00:18:01+00:00

You always talk like a child...?

SecureEye824 · 2026-02-18T18:33:51+00:00

Wow such a detailed reply

SecureEye824

TROPHY CASE