Sainsbury's equal pay - Kate's story

Although Kate had been working as an Office Assistant at a local business, she found that she needed more flexible working hours to fit around childcare. She began working as a Customer Service Assistant at Pocklington Sainsbury’s in 2008.  

Kate enjoyed the busy and fast-paced environment, she was able to use her problem-solving skills and liked being able to help customers. However, as time went on, she found the work to be more demanding physically and mentally.

The equal pay claim that Leigh Day is bringing on behalf of thousands of supermarket workers like Kate proposes that Sainsbury’s store-based employees should be paid equally to the predominantly male warehouse staff.  

Kate told us that she hopes the claim will encourage more equality between store workers and warehouse workers, so that store workers are recognised more for their skills and the demands of the role.  

Kate said:  

“It would be great for people working in supermarkets to know that someone’s stood up for them. There’s someone that cares for the people who work there. 

“Retail and store work is still regarded as unskilled. ‘Just stacking shelves’ is a phrase used in a derogatory way by people who have never done it. It is regarded as mostly part-time and often taken up by women supporting their families, many of them having to get their wages topped up by the government to make ends meet. Those of us who work in shops and supermarkets know just how many skills, knowledge and personal qualities are required to perform our roles well. It is physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding work.  

“It is very irksome to find out that distribution workers, who are predominantly men, are paid more per hour than a store worker and so are valued more highly for the work they do! It is an insult to the dedicated customer facing colleagues, without whom the company could not maintain its brand image or customer loyalty. Using adverts to portray a caring, helpful supermarket that wants to help families eat well in the cost-of-living crisis whilst underpaying the family breadwinners who work for them is both wrong and hypocritical. 

“The recent Next equal pay judgment should send a clear message to our employers - come clean and acknowledge that our work is of equal value to the business and as such we should be paid the same as the warehouse workers.  

“I encourage everyone eligible to sign up to the Sainsbury’s equal pay claim so that when it succeeds, they can receive the money they should have been paid in previous years.”