Morrisons to create 3,500 jobs to help expand home deliveries to get groceries to vulnerable people
MORRISONS has pledged to create 3,500 new jobs so that it can expand its delivery services as coronavirus continues to spread throughout the UK.
The supermarket says that it is expanding home delivery with new ways of getting shopping to people and more slots for customers.
Shoppers have been struggling with long waiting times for online shopping slots and empty shelves since coronavirus spread to the UK.
Supermarkets have issues pleas to stop customers from panic buying and introduced restriction of the number of items people can get.
Now Morrisons says it will be launching a new range of simple-to-order food parcels, including options for vegetarians, from March 23.
It will also be making more delivery slots available both through Morrisons.com and the Morrisons Store on Amazon Prime Now.
The supermarket will add another 100 stores that are able to pick customers’ shopping over the coming weeks to meet the growing demand.
It is also introducing a customer call centre for orders to be taken over the phone so that people who do not shop online can still order food.
To make all these changes possible, Morrisons is recruiting an extra 3,500 workers.
In addition to around 2,500 pickers and drivers to expand home delivery, Morrisons will be recruiting around 1,000 people to work in the company’s distribution centres.
The vacancies will be advertised through a campaign on radio and social media and the Morrisons jobs website .
As well as measures to help vulnerable consumers, the supermarket is also making changes to better protect its workforce.
For instance, the supermarket says it is creating a colleagues hardship fund to support employees who are in financial difficulty because of coronavirus.
Staff will be able to apply for funds if they experience a financial setback and are struggling to make ends meet.
Morrisons is also changing its sick pay rules to protect its employees.
It says that anyone who is sick with coronavirus will get sick pay even if they would not normally be eligible.
This will help staff who are part time or contractors.
Employees who are affected either because of self isolation, or by playing their part in looking after close family members or the vulnerable in their local community, will also be eligible for sick pay, alternative shifts or holiday.
Finally, the supermarket will be asking customers to pay by card or mobile where possible to reduce the spread of the outbreak.
It is isssuing hand sanitiser to checkouts at all stores and significantly increasing cleaning on places that staff and customers touch.
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