Work-life balance
Retailing is able to offer flexible working, for example to parents with young children. In our stores we provide very flexible working hours and contracts to enable colleagues to balance the needs and demands of their home and work lives. Almost 70% of store colleagues (over 100,000 people) are on part-time contracts.
Sainsbury's flexible working policy applies across all parts of our business. Our employment practices promoting good work-life balance include:
- part-time working – from 12 to 36 hours per week; store colleagues can choose a variety of hours per day and days per week.
- term-time and dual-store contracts – parents can choose to work during school terms only, and university students can transfer to a different store close to their family homes in holiday periods.
- job share – two colleagues can share a full-time job.
- two weeks' paid paternity leave (following the birth of a baby).
- parental leave (for childcare).
- career break schemes of up to one year – for personal development or caring responsibilities.
- time away from work for jury service, bereavement and emergency incidents.
Social facilities
All colleagues can join the Sainsbury's Staff Association (SSA), which organises activities and fun days out for colleagues and their families. The association also negotiates discounts for colleagues on items such as insurance, motoring costs and banking. About 88,000 colleagues are members of the SSA.
