Warehouse Operative

Working in freezer and getting extra breaks that are paid

Stressful and chaotic

The team I work with

Workload, unrealistic expectations during work time to complete tasks, lack of support with apprenticeships

Pay,30 days holidays rising to 35 days after 4 years discounts for the sector highest pay.

Rude customers have to work quickly no 1 day is the same

No day is the same, my boss, some customers, problem solving, being in charge.

Some of the staff you have to deal with, sick calls when there’s only about enough people on shift to get the job done, stress, customers, aggression from shoplifters and beggars

Contracted pay when working less hours; decent holiday pay; rota given in advance; above minimum wage

Lack of understanding from some upper management as they haven't worked customer service; having too many tasks to do at the same time (working two or three roles at once); difficulty changing shifts on shorter notice as rota can be up to 4 weeks in advance; broken equipment doesn't get fixed making the job far more difficult; not enough staff on shift; very high expectations with little time to execute to the standard demanded; lack of training

Pay is good, management are nice and job security is there if you work for it

Other colleagues constantly pressuring you to go faster, physical workload was illness inducing for me and still not good enough. Initial training was rushed through and half of it not done at all, just signed off. No variety in the days, just break your body in the morning then till once open or self checkout which is very isolating. Staff barely talk to each other and are not really very welcoming. Zero concept of positive reinforcement within the store but as others have said extremely quick to critique.

My team. I’ve worked in other stores and I’ve never worked with a group of people so genuinely caring and helpful. Working on the shop floor is also nice when left to get on with the job

We are expected to be completely flexible and available 7 days a week. I am often rung up and asked to come in and cover a 10 hour shift with an hours notice, or will have my hours changed with no notice. The constant pressure of being in a customer facing role. I guess I have a good customer service voice because I am always put to work on self service. We only do 10 hour shifts, so that is 10 hours walking in the same square area. These 10 hour shifts also only reward us with a single half an hour break. Higher management (store and area manager) has a complete disconnect from their expectations of us as a store to what we can realistically achieve when it is busy. Because when we literally have a queue snaking the aisles of course my time management is the problem and not having to work around customers to stock the selves.

Always plenty of work, so shifts don't drag.
Great team in my store. Can have a laugh while still getting the job done.
Plenty of variety for work needing done during the day.

5am starts.
Late finishes on middle isle nights, eg start 1pm or 2pm on Wednesday, finish anywhere between 11pm and 2am depending on the amount of items to go out that night.
Not a great work life balance.
Unrealistic time frames for completing certain tasks.

Lidls till closing procedure is the biggest fail I've ever seen in retail. After all these years customers still have no idea the red light means the till is closing, you will be constantly shouting sorry this till is closed, to the customers anger. If only something like a till closed sign you set at the end of the till could solve this, eh?