Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Asda introduces four-day work week

Asda braces for its first-ever strike later this month

Asda introduces four-day work week

ISSA brothers, owners of ASDA, have initiated a trial for a four-day workweek in an effort to rebuild relations with senior employees, reported The Telegraph.

The trial comes in response to a wave of dissatisfaction fueled by extensive cost-cutting measures and concerns over the company's corporate culture, leading to a mass exodus of managers.


A presentation released late last year disclosed the details of Asda's "leadership structure trial" as the management grappled with a significant 13.9 per cent increase in turnover among retail managers in 2022.

The document highlighted that the high rate of attrition has adversely affected the stability and capability of store teams, subsequently impacting both the colleague experience and, by extension, customer satisfaction.

As part of their pursuit for a "case for change" among store managers, Asda is conducting the four-day week trial, set to conclude later this month.

The trial also encompasses experiments with other flexible working arrangements, including shorter shifts, demonstrating a commitment to rebuilding relations with senior employees, the report added.

At present, the giant faces the impending challenge of grappling with billions of pounds in debt and finds itself trailing behind competitors Tesco and Sainsbury's in terms of market share. Ongoing scrutiny is directed toward the management of Asda by the Issa brothers.

Despite their significant investment in Asda after acquiring it from Walmart in a debt-fueled £6.8 billion deal three years ago, the supermarket's market share has experienced a decline from 14.2 per cent to 13.6 per cent over the past year.

Asda braces for its first-ever strike later this month, with employees at a Gosport superstore planning to walk out.

Former Asda store managers, critical of the Issa brothers' management, have voiced concerns about the company's trajectory. One former-employee, who left after just two years, accused the brothers of running the business into the ground, citing a breakdown in processes and a lack of adherence to established protocols.

In response to these allegations, a source close to Asda dismissed the claims, emphasising the significant investments made by the current owners in contrast to the latter years of Walmart's ownership.

Nadine Houghton, a national officer at GMB Union, highlighted the daily grievances of "disgruntled managers" facing increased pressure to operate stores with fewer resources.

She asserted that a reduction in managers' weekly working hours, while a step in the right direction, does not address the core issues affecting store operations.

“Since September 2023, we have been trialling a variety of flexible working patterns for managers in 20 stores, including a four-day working week for the same pay and benefits," an Asda spokesman was quoted as saying by The Telegraph.

“There has been no reduction in the number of hours that hourly-paid colleagues are contracted to work as a result of this trial.

“While we are still evaluating the results, the feedback from participating colleagues has been very positive.

“Asda has also invested a total of £325m in increasing pay for both store-based and logistics colleagues since 2022. For the record, Asda saw a 6pc reduction in colleague turnover between 2022 and 2023.”

More For You

Bangladesh seeks US deal to shield garment industry from tariffs

Workers are engaged at their sewing stations in a garment factory in Savar, on the outskirts of Dhaka, on April 9, 2025. (Photo by MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Bangladesh seeks US deal to shield garment industry from tariffs

BANGLADESH, the world's second-biggest garment manufacturer, aims to strike a trade deal with the US before Donald Trump's punishing tariffs kick in next week, said the country's top commerce official.

Dhaka is proposing to buy Boeing planes and boost imports of US wheat, cotton and oil in a bid to reduce the trade deficit, which Trump used as the reason for imposing painful levies in his "Liberation Day" announcement.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK business district
The Canary Wharf business district including global financial institutions in London.
Getty Images

Bond yields ease following Starmer’s support for Reeves

THE COST of UK government borrowing fell on Thursday, partially reversing the rise seen after Chancellor Rachel Reeves became emotional during Prime Minister’s Questions.

The yield on 10-year government bonds dropped to 4.55 per cent, down from 4.61 per cent the previous day. The pound also recovered slightly to $1.3668 (around £1.00), though it did not regain all its earlier losses.

Keep ReadingShow less
modi-trump-getty
Modi shakes hands with Trump before a meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on February 25, 2020. (Photo: Getty Images)
Getty Images

Indian exporters watch closely as Trump says trade deal with India likely

THE US could reach a trade deal with India that would help American companies compete more easily in the Indian market and reduce tariff rates, President Donald Trump said on Tuesday. However, he cast doubt on a similar deal with Japan.

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump said he believed India was ready to lower trade barriers, potentially paving the way for an agreement that would avoid the 26 per cent tariff rate he had announced on April 2 and paused until July 9.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kolhapuri sandal sales surge in India post Prada controversy

Customers shop for 'Kolhapuri' sandals, an Indian ethnic footwear, at a store in New Delhi, India, June 27, 2025. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

Kolhapuri sandal sales surge in India post Prada controversy

INDIAN footwear sellers and artisans are tapping into nationalist pride stoked by the Prada 'sandal scandal' in a bid to boost sales of ethnic slippers with history dating back to the 12th century, raising hopes of reviving a struggling craft.

Sales are surging over the past week for the 'Kolhapuri' sandals that have garnered global attention after Prada sparked a controversy by showcasing similar designs in Milan, without initially crediting the footwear's origins.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK business district
The Canary Wharf business district including global financial institutions in London.
Getty Images

Economy grew 0.7 per cent in Q1 2025, fastest in a year

THE UK economy expanded at its fastest pace in a year during the first quarter of 2025, driven by a rise in home purchases ahead of a tax deadline and higher manufacturing output before the introduction of new US import tariffs.

Gross domestic product rose by 0.7 per cent in the January-to-March period, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said, confirming its earlier estimate. This was the strongest quarterly growth since the first quarter of 2024.

Keep ReadingShow less