Asda job cuts, workplace exclusion, and rising shoplifting

Shoplifting and abuse on the rise in the UK 

According to a British Retail Consortium survey, nearly a quarter of Britons have witnessed shoplifting or abuse of retail workers in the past year, with Nottingham and London among the worst-affected cities. Retail crime is escalating, with 55,000 daily thefts and violent incidents rising by 50%. Organised gangs and economic pressures are fuelling the trend, while reduced staff and self-checkouts contribute to vulnerabilities.

The government is proposing stricter laws, including removing the £200 theft threshold and criminalising assaults on retail workers. The BRC urges further protections, including coverage for delivery drivers under UK law.

Return-to-office mandates could exclude over a million disabled workers 

Research from Lancaster University and the Work Foundation warns that return-to-office policies could disadvantage 1.16 million disabled workers who rely on remote work to manage their health. While 41% of workers have access to remote options, only 3.2% of jobs advertised on the DWP’s portal were hybrid, and just 0.6% were fully remote. Many disabled workers won’t apply for roles without flexible options.

Experts urge employers to consider accessibility and autonomy in hybrid work models, warning that ignoring flexibility limits talent and widens the disability employment gap. Researchers call for increased visibility of remote opportunities in job listings.

Asda cuts hundreds of jobs amid £800m IT overhaul 

Asda has laid off over 200 workers involved in its £800m IT separation from former owner Walmart, with more job losses expected. The transition, known as Project Future, has faced setbacks, including payroll errors impacting thousands of employees. Asda missed its original IT separation deadline but secured an extension.

This marks the second wave of redundancies under chairman Allan Leighton, following earlier staff cuts and the controversial removal of 10,000 employee bonuses. Despite legal consultation requirements, Asda insists no rules were broken. The supermarket maintains that job cuts are a natural part of the project’s completion.