Sainsbury’s staff get pay rises and free food during shifts to help with cost of living crisis

Supermarket says it is ‘doing everything we can to help our colleagues as they face rising bills and living costs’

Staff will have increased in-store discounts, with more offered arounf Christmas (Danny Lawson/PA) (PA Wire)

Sainsbury’s are offering staff pay rises, free food and more discounts to support them during the cost of living crisis.

The supermarket firm said it was investing around £25m into the staff support scheme this autumn, with £20 million going towards increasing pay for its 127,000 hourly paid colleagues.

“With this latest package of an additional pay rise, free food at work and bigger colleague discounts, we are very focused on doing as much as we can to help our colleagues and their families through this autumn and winter,” said Sainsbury’s chief executive Simon Roberts.

Staff at Sainsbury’s and Argos – which is owned by the supermarket – will receive a pay rise of at least 25p per hour, from £10.00 to £10.25 and from £11.05 to £11.30 per hour for those working in London, from 16 October.

The supermarket will also provide staff with basic food items during shifts from the first week in October until the end of December and more discounts at Sainsbury’s and Argos.

Hourly-paid staff will see their pay increase by at least 25p per hour (PA Wire)

Staff are already eligible for year-round Sainsbury’s discount of 10 per cent, which will increase to 15 per cent for five days around payday and to help with Christmas shopping, staff discount at Argos rise to 15 per cent for one day every payday Friday until Christmas, starting from 23rd September.

Sainsbury’s have also pledged to invest £500m over two years to keep their prices low, which will mean lower profits for the supermarket compared to last year but will focus on support for customers and colleagues given current circumstances.

Mr Roberts added: “Every day, I am hearing from colleagues who are really feeling the pressures of the rising cost of living.

“That’s why we are doing everything we can to help our colleagues as they face rising bills and living costs this autumn by investing £25 million into a package of support, including an early pay increase. This is the first time we have given two pay rises in the same year.

“Our top priority is to support our customers and colleagues.”

Sainsbury’s is increasing pay as part of a £25 million package (Michael McHugh/PA) (PA Archive)

David Gill, national officer for the Usdaw union, said: “With the cost of living continually rising, we have kept open our dialogue with Sainsbury’s and we are pleased the business has responded so positively.

“This is an unprecedented additional autumn pay award and the free food and additional discount will be appreciated by our members. It is a very challenging time at present and we are particularly pleased that this additional increase, due to take effect from October 2022, will not replace the usual pay review process which takes place annually.”