How to tell if you may not have been paid equally in a supermarket job

Many supermarket store workers do not know whether they were paid fairly.

The supermarket equal pay claims are about whether mostly female store workers were paid less than mostly male warehouse or distribution centre workers for work of equal value.

The jobs do not have to be identical. Equal pay law can compare different jobs if they involve similar levels of skill, effort, responsibility and working conditions.

Here are some signs you may have been affected.

1. You worked in-store for a major supermarket

You may be able to claim if you worked in-store for Tesco, Morrisons, Asda or Sainsbury's.

This could include checkouts, shopfloor, customer service, click and collect, stock, replenishment, counters, online orders or other in-store roles.

If you were paid by the hour and worked there in the last six years, it may be worth checking whether you are eligible.

2. Warehouse workers were paid more

One warning sign is hearing that warehouse or distribution centre workers were paid more than store workers.

The claims are about alleged pay gaps between store workers and warehouse or distribution centre workers. Even £1, £2 or £3 per hour can add up to thousands of pounds over time.

You do not need to know the exact warehouse rate before checking.

3. Your job involved skill, pressure or responsibility

Store work is often wrongly treated as simple. But many store workers serve customers, handle complaints, manage stock, meet time targets, lift goods, cover departments, train others and work under pressure.

Equal pay law looks at skill, effort, responsibility and working conditions. If your role involved more than people realised, it may be worth checking whether it was properly valued.

4. Store roles were mainly done by women

Supermarket equal pay claims are strongly linked to gender.

The claims allege that mostly female store workers were paid less than mostly male warehouse or distribution centre workers, even though the work may have been of equal value.

That is the kind of pay inequality equal pay law is designed to address.

5. A small hourly gap would have made a big difference

For someone working 25 hours a week:

• £1 per hour = £25 a week
• £2 per hour = £50 a week
• £3 per hour = £75 a week

Over six years, that could add up to roughly £7,800 to £23,400, before deductions, interest or other adjustments.

If a claim succeeds, it is money workers should have received in the first place.

What should you do?

You do not need to prove everything yourself before checking.

You do not need every payslip. You do not need to know the exact warehouse pay rate. You do not need to be certain you have a claim.

You may be able to join if:

• you worked in-store for Tesco, Morrisons, Asda or Sainsbury's;
• you were paid by the hour;
• you worked there in the last six years;
• you are a current or former worker.

Men may also be eligible. You do not need to be in a union.