Sainsbury's staff are seething after being promised Boxing Day off this year only to be told that some of them will actually have to work it.
The husband of an employee at a store in Newton Abbott, Devon, said their Christmas has been massively affected by the late change.
He claimed they had planned on spending a few days with some relatives, but now they have to return early so she can make her shift.
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Management had apparently told staff at the store that it would be staying closed for two days over Christmas as a 'thank you' for their hard work.
The man, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "Now they have found out that people who work evenings at the bigger stores still have to work.
"Some people have arranged to travel away from home to see family and now they have to come back early.
"People are livid.
"When they made the announcement they said it was a thank you to 'all colleagues'. It's terrible after last Christmas when lots of people didn't get to see their families - and now it's happening again."
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He added: "The staff went to work all through Covid when it was really hard and this is how they are being thanked. It's just not fair!"
A spokesperson for Sainsbury's told LADbible: "The vast majority of colleagues will not need to work.
"There will be some shifts in logistics and our stores which will continue as normal so that we can make sure we’re well stocked for our customers when we reopen on the 27th but everyone who supports these shifts will receive an increased rate of pay."
This comes a couple of months after bosses at Sainsbury's announced it would be closing its stores over Christmas.
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In a video announcing the move, management said: "To all our colleagues. Thank you for stepping up. Thank you for stacking up. Thank you for staying calm. Thank you for staying strong. Thank you for keeping us safe.
"Thank you for everything."
Speaking about the decision, Simon Roberts, chief executive of Sainsbury’s, said it was an acknowledgment of employees' hard work all year.
He said: "Christmas is a really special time for so many, but because of lockdown restrictions last year, lots of us weren’t able to celebrate in the way we wanted.
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"In recognition of this and to say a massive thank you to all our colleagues for everything they have done during the last challenging year, we will be closing all of our supermarkets, convenience stores and petrol filling stations, as well as Argos and Habitat stores, this Boxing Day.
"I want to thank our customers in advance for their understanding, which will mean as many of our team as possible can have a well-deserved break to spend time with loved ones."
LADbible has contacted Sainsbury's for further comment.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Sainsbury's, Shopping, UK News, Christmas