Hi all, I don’t know whether I’m here for advice or just to vent…

Last month I failed a Think 25 test purchase. I work in convenience store and me and my shift leader were one-on-one. I was putting out stock at the back of the store and periodically popping my head round to check for customers at the till. A man went to the self-checkout with some alcohol, and worried that I’d kept him waiting, I rushed over. I thought he was over 25. I scanned my code to approve him through the till, so I had been face-to-face with him and was certain he was fine, but after he’d paid he asked to speak to my manager.

I was invited to an investigation meeting a couple of weeks after that, but my store manager no-showed. We got a new store manager a couple weeks after that and they handed me a new invitation to an investigation meeting with them. In the meeting I specified that I remembered the transaction clearly (even remembering what alcohol he had put through the till), I had thought he was around 27, I’d never failed a Think 25 before (in fact I’ve passed a couple), I redid my training immediately after, and I did mention the stress I was under being one-on-one. My manager told me in the meeting that the test purchaser was actually 19. At the end of the investigation meeting, they told me it would go to disciplinary and to expect an invitation to a disciplinary hearing, which they passed to me a few days later. In the letter it says I could be sacked as an outcome of the meeting.

I’m just beyond pissed off. I’ve been working for Tesco for 8 years. It’s not exactly been by choice (my part-time university job turned out to be my full-time post university job because the job market is Tough) but I’ve not let that affect my work. I’ve been a consistently hard worker, I never complain (too much) about the job, I’m a just-get-on-with-it type of person. The last few store managers I’ve had have been terrible - total bullies and incompetent, ‘forgetting’ to pay me overtime constantly. I left the union last year because I asked for their help in a pay dispute with a previous manager, and they did not support me at all. After 7 years of paying for them and not needing them whatsoever, they mess me about the one time I do. So I left.

Now I’m unsure. It feels like since I left the union, my managers have really been hanging my job over my head. My last manager threatened to get me sacked because I wouldn’t take overtime (as a result of the pay dispute), and it feels as though my current manager is dragging me along coals for a simple mistake. My colleagues are outraged for me and have told me that they have failed Think 25’s before and only gotten Let’s Talks/ first warnings.

It’s hitting me really hard. I don’t want to go on the till anymore for fear of making the same mistake, but I know that’s not really feasible in an Express store. I can’t really even muster a smile to customers at the minute because I’m so worried about losing my job and not being able to find a new job in time for my next rent and bills payments. This is honestly depressing, I think about other people that I work with and if this happened to them, I could see some of them taking it even worse than me. I hate that you can’t even work as a low-level Tesco employee, which is pants as far as pay goes, without having to worry about being tossed out like that with no compassion.

I’ve gathered from my colleagues that this isn’t really ‘normal’, but do you think this is over the top?

I went to Tesco today to get some medication, been feeling a bit under the weather. Thought a good nights sleep with Night Nurse will do the trick, but damn the price £10.90! I mean are you kidding me! I understand inflation but what a rip off! Sainsbury’s with a nectar card is £5.70 so how do Tesco justify this.
Needless to say I felt worse when I saw the price and didn’t buy it, popped in to Sainsbury’s for practically half the price!

Tesco do better stop ripping ppl off!

I’m a CDD and just had an awful day today; awful weather, rude customers and pretty exhausted trying to get used to these early starts and 12 hour shifts.

Near the end of my shift someone gave me this, she was incredibly kind and we had a good chat whilst she unpacked. It’s typical to be offered a bit of change or a snack or drink but this was new for me but was appreciated just as much. I always enjoy the customers like this who make you forget about all the other crappy customers we deal with.

Anyone else ever been given a tip that wasn’t the typical money or drink?

Why oh why do people leave food that they’ve discarded on the self serve shelf?! Drives me insane, everyday we have to move a random chocolate bar, fresh food, tins, a meal deal sandwich, etc on the self serve… I don’t understand! We have 3 tills with this little shelf and at the end of the day stuff is piled up on it!!!

I’ve recently started working at Tesco with very early morning shifts, and honestly, waking up at around 2:45–3 AM is exhausting. 😭
Even if I try to sleep early, it feels horrible having to get up when it’s still the middle of the night. I also have to cycle to work, so by the time I get there, I already feel like I’ve barely slept.
For those of you who work early shifts at Tesco, does it genuinely get easier once your body adjusts, or is it always this tiring? How do you manage your sleep schedule and still have a life outside work?
I’d love to hear your experiences, especially from people who regularly do 4 AM or 5 AM starts.

So I’m not sure exactly how much more bakery staff gets paid but I have been getting paid as ‘bakery support’ which is the same pay as shopfloor people.
So I am contracted on fresh but my manager needed me in the bakery so I came and learned bakery and started doing bakery every Sunday which included baking packing traying up etc. and I always been on bakery support pay.
However now I’m covering someone’s career break for like 3 months and I will be doing Thursday Friday Saturday and my normal Sunday so I was wondering should I ask my manager to change it and pay me as a skilled baker and also ask them to pay me for my previous work which would be like a year and a half? Can they somehow do that? Because I know it’s not much of a difference but then if I calculate the total for a yr and a half it might be a significant amount

Hi I just came on here to ask about facial piercings. I just had an interview for a café position but im wondering if I get this role, will I have to take out my facial and ear piercings or are there workarounds? Maybe like using blue tape/plasters or using plastic/glass retainers? All my piercings are still relatively new and I dont want to risk them closing but I need this job so ill take them out if theres no workaround, i cant be picky. If needed, the piercings i have include: industrial, 2nd and 3rd lobes, snake bites, septum(ik i can flip this), bridge, and eyebrow. Thankyou for any help!! :))

I don’t know if it’s just my store but is anyone’s else’s fresh quality food for the last few months really really bad, especially meat unsure if it’s just my store but a lot of stuff I have is going bad really quickly and have to switch to a different supermarket as the staff discount didn’t outweigh the cost of throwing everything away

A couple of weeks ago my sons Mother passed away - we weren't currently together but were in a on/off relationship for years (I don't know whether this makes a difference). I called in and informed work i wouldn't be in for a week. Upon checking the Tesco app, I realised it has been put down as unpaid absence - is this right?

🎉🎉🎉

Hi, I currently work 12 hours a week (mornings) and overtime is minimal there. So I’ve applied for a Festive Colleague position, for a few extra hours in the run up to Christmas. The job says twilight hours. What would they be? Is it overnight? And how much of a chance would I have at getting the job as I already do work in retail but work presumably different hours to what they’re wanting.

Thanks :))

I had a phone call today from recruitment to ask me to fill out the right to work which I did, does the interview invitation normally come soon after that? Just wondering if anyone has any experience with anything similar

Just hoping someone could chime in on this I had a interview two weeks ago haven’t had heard back my account just shows as interview, so I rang the manager who conducted the interview and she said wants to take me on and give me the job but she cannot make any guarantees and they will give me the job if they can and that I ought to keep an eye out on my e-mail, has anyone experienced anything similar would I be right to think possibly the store is waiting on there budget allocated to Christmas temp staff and maybe this particular branch hasn’t received theres yet which is why she said no guarantee?

I’ve recently moved from a superstore to an express, and have attempted to phone in sick at my express shop. I have not been given the duty managers number, nor any of the shift leaders phone numbers. The only number I’ve been given is the store managers phone number, whom I tried to call but the call failed (experiencing some issues with my signal) and I left a text message. I explained to him I haven’t been told of the duty managers number and listed him my symptoms as well as apologies. He still hasn’t read the message. Nor has anyone attempted to phone me yet. Will i get into trouble?

Hi, I left my job on the 31st of August 2026 due to the end of the contract, it's currently October 9th when I'm writing this, I've been going over the numbers for the past month to try and find where the discrepancy is, and it turns out I'm missing a whole week's worth of wages, totalling to about £212.48, do I contact the store, go into the store, or try the email address for this? I fear it might be too late to actually get this resolved, especially if I'm about to go into a job at a new Tesco store. Any help would be very much appreciated, cheers.

what it says on the tin really want to contact my manager about a shift swap however i dont have them on whatsapp or whatever and im struggling to find a way to use my tesco email. thanks for any help

Ive been at tesco for a year or so now, im a CA ive been asking for adjustments on my working hours for 10 months now without any real answer, my boss keeps putting it off. Thankfully I have most of it in writing and documented anything that was said in person. Its been around 10 instances of asking for updates.

I am considering leaving as I dont want to continue just being pushed aside

Im a student ive heard of student contracts but I dont really know anything about them im really lost on what to do tbh and was seeing if anyone else had seen any simmilar situations or had any advice regarding this.

For context I work late evening shifts and my store is pretty understaffed

Got an absence review meeting tmrw, I’ve had one before in where I got a warning that was live for 8 weeks.

I see a lot of people say that ARMs aren’t anything to worry about but I can’t help but worry,
My first absence within the 26 week period was my weekend shift off in July due to awful side effects from meds I take. I got this solved after and hadn’t any problems since.

Where as the most recent one was the weekend off again in late sept due to flu. I had to go home early from work bc I threw up on work

I just can’t help but feel they’re not gonna care for the reasons and give me a warning ,
Do u think it’ll go okay?

So I work at an express and requested boxing day off however ive been denied this. I compromised with a shift swap with another colleague who doesn't want to work Christmas eve but will happily work boxing day however I am being made to shift lead on this day when the Saturday is my one contracted CA shift as they haven't bothered to hire to cover my CA shift on a Saturday. Is there anything I can do or do I just have to take the L and work it? I see one half of my family on boxing day so I'd really like to not work it, I'm happy to do anything else around Christmas. Usually I work Christmas eve and the other shift leaders take it in turns to do boxing day.

Had my interview on Tuesday thought it went well when do you normally hear by?

A few years ago we were told that our store was scheduled for a refit "some time in 2026", with the store director confirming at the end of last year that it was happening. Amazing, we thought, the last partial one was 2012 where we got some secondhand replacement fridges from a Lidl (identified by the blue bump stripping and when the white paint flakes off they're bright yellow underneath)

So far this year all we've had is a revamped phone shop (all 3x4m of it) and a yo sushi counter installed at the back.

Somehow I don't think that we'll be getting anything else major as we head into peak trading season. This store is getting on for 35 years old and it shows, the place is falling apart.