Some 475 head office redundancies are part of Asda’s new strategy “to remove duplication and simplify structures”, an Asda spokesperson told C+D on Friday (November 8).
In a message to employees published last week (November 5), the supermarket announced that it is “delivering fewer, bigger roles” [and] “clear accountabilities and ownership”.
“Sadly, as a result, some colleagues will be leaving the business this week, while others will be considering new roles and responsibilities,” it said.
Read more: ‘Refuse to engage’: New Asda contracts pose risk to patient safety, staff warn
C+D understands that Asda’s healthcare area manager role is among those affected and that the redundancies represent less than 10% of the total number of staff who work in the supermarket’s Leeds and Leicester head offices.
“Change is never easy and is unsettling, but the executive team believe it is necessary to enter 2025 in a stronger position,” it added.
“The market is challenging and the competition isn’t standing still,” it stressed.
Back in-office
The announcement also revealed that “from January 2025”, Asda will require “every home office colleague to be present in an Asda office location - Asda House, George House, Britannia House - for a minimum of three days per week”.
“For some colleagues, this will require fixed days and/or more days in an Asda office location in line with business needs” and “this will be pro-rated for part-time colleagues”, it added.
Read more: Boots orders HQ staff to return to office full-time
Asda said that it will “soon start refreshing Asda House to improve the working environment”.
The upgrades will include “a better catering offer, an onsite Asda Express, a more welcoming atrium, more meeting spaces, quiet space working pods, upgraded toilets, new chairs and redecoration”, it added.
Asda latest
In June, C+D exclusively reported Asda pharmacists’ warnings that the supermarket’s new structure poses “very serious” risks to patient safety, as well as creating overly stressful working conditions for staff.
Asda pharmacists were asked to “work compressed contracted hours” and “fewer days” in new “voluntary” contracts, and offered a one-off “pharmacist payment” as an incentive to accept the terms.
Read more: New pharmacist contract ‘in effect an increase in pay’, Asda says
Documents seen by C+D also revealed a new accuracy checking dispensing assistant (ACDA) role will be paid by the hour.
At the time, Asda told C+D that it “received positive feedback from all the participating sites” following a trial of the new ways of working proposed to Asda pharmacy colleagues.
Meanwhile in March, Boots head office staff were ordered to return to office the full-time from September.
