Essential reading for retailers and suppliers in the home improvement market

Wickes: More complaints from employees

Published: 20 July 2016
Following DIY Week's recent report on a dissatisfied Wickes employee, another worker has stepped forward.
Wickes: More complaints from employees
The second worker has responded to the claims - including that fork lift drivers were paid the same as cleaners and there are no extra wages for Sunday workers - made by the first employee and shed further light on the situation.

He said: "I am a Wickes employee and I'd like to give you a little more info on the [company's] change of rates as of NLW being introduced. I was told after many meetings with store bosses if I didn't drive the [fork lift truck] for the NLW I could leave. End of discussion."

He also responded to the claims from a Wickes spokesperson that through the company's GainShare programme, workers could earn up to £3,600 per year on top of their usual pay.

"With regards to gain share," the employee said, "I have received two payments seven months into this year which has totalled £149. Not anywhere close to the thousands Wickes say we can make. They have increased our store budgets massively so we don't make the targets. "

The original Wickes employee to approach DIY Week has backed this, saying: "[The GainShare scheme] was introduced over 18 months ago so it is not a response to this NLW. Recently they have upped the targets for the stores so they are not even paying the same they did last year. Obviously the company benefit more from this scheme than the colleagues I guess, am not sure of the ratio but they must obviously make more from it than we do."

Comments

16 August 2018 09:45:17
Sandy Love

My son has been working for Wicks since the end of June. And has not received a penny in wages, how does that work then has been told he will not get paid until September ????? I am not impressed how they get away with paying such low wages anyway.

21 April 2018 09:59:39
shirley aouani

i am a wickes cleaner and i love my job but trying to clean the floors is very difficult with people running up and down stairs constantly, i end up mopping the floors 3 to 4 times cos they  just walk across it [management] as  soon as its mopped. also i have to lug equipment up and down the stairs several times a day   as i have to clean 2 floors. not allowed to lock the cupboard so my own bought equipment and wickes equipment gets ruined with cement and sand. nothing stays where i leave it, otherwise i have great colleagues and its a peaceful place to work.

29 March 2017 10:20:16
Philip shirley
I have been employee of wickes for 15 years I got my son a job after a few mishaps he was getting on wel getting his sku rates timekeeping good then he had small bump backing into pallet lmpact of 6.1 not a lot manger say he must of hit something and will sack him which to me is disgusting I am submitting letters to all higher mangerss about this so they can see how long time employees are treated and why there is becoming a gap between them thank you
20 November 2016 00:15:28
jefg
Forklift drivers are no linger paid extra as of this summer. Its an added risk. I have been advised not to take the FLT training
20 July 2016 01:05:00
By B&Q bob
The comment from anon shows they don't know what they are taking about, driving a forktruck is an additional responsibility in retail, it is not something all staff do but an extra job you do.if you work in the warehouse it's part of your job if you work on the shopfloor it's not so you do the company a favour to take on the responsibility, I bet anon doesn't work in a day store so doesn't have to do the myriad of jobs now expected. I used to work for Travis Perkins and it was so cushy there with admin staff yard staff etc and so quiet compared to big DIY sheds.whete you have to take orders book orders pick orders answer 1000 plus phone calls a day man the tills serve on the shopfloor replenish store shelves of 100,000 sqft sales floors, book overstocks onto the system drop n fill, tidy, clean,price mix paint cut timber and paternoster, then learn to drive wave and caddies and scissor lifts, powered pump trucks and long dogs.all for minimum wage. Oh and as the cleaners only work in the morning if the toilet blocks or sinks overflow we have to fix that too. And if you accept the extra 1.25 a week for the first aid badge you have to deal with cuts blood sick or in one case I dealt with a heart attack and they want to remove the 1.25 now to save money. If you make a mistake on a flt you face the sack so is it so bad to expect to be paid extra for it.
20 July 2016 01:04:00
By ANON
Driving a forklift should not attract any additional wage. I bet that you never had to pay to get your forklift ticket, nor have to pay to renew it either. It is part of your job. Cleaners have to deal with 'messy' toilets but don't get extra because their was a turd on the wall they had to clean...
20 July 2016 01:03:00
By bq bob
BQ did exactly the same they ended our guaranteed bonus of 6% a year to a store team bonus, and despite my store being nearly 15% up on last year's sales, surprise surprise we have only hit bonus 3 times so instead of 600 bonus last year so far I have earnt 98 with the busiest time of our year over. The directors have seen their bonus increase as it's based on profit, and since cutting wages for thousands of staff and reducing our bonuses profits are up.greed wears a suitcase n B&Q.
20 July 2016 01:02:00
By bq bob
B&Q did exactly the same, replaced our guaranteed bonus that was in our contracts with a store team bonus, then put up our targets so we only hit them a couple of times a year even though our lfl sales are uo.they also tried to get rid of flt payment and reduced the 1st aid payment. All while ensuring the fat cat directors pay packets lost nothing. Would anyone notice if these directors didn't turn up for work, no! They do nothing and take obscene salaries for doing it.
20 July 2016 01:01:00
By bq bob
B&Q did exactly the same they replaced our guaranteed bonus with a store team bonus then upped our targets so we didn't make bonus. They even cut the 5 a month 1st aid payment so potentially saving someone's life is worth nothing to them.but our fatcat bosses just keep their snouts in the pay trough taking obscene salaries while scheming up new ways to get more for less money from the staff. We have to all man the tills, answer the phones, carry goods to customers cars, fill the shelves, overstocks etc serve customers, cut timber, mix paint, maintain our own aisles and if we have 3 sicknesses a year we face dismissal. We are given informals if we are a minute late but we finish our shifts at 9pm yet they let the last customers in at 9pm so we never get to leave on time. We now have to take customer orders and pick the stock on the shop floor and pc's as they have gotten rid of the service desks and staff. We were encouraged to do extra training to rise up the pay scales, then "to be fare to all" they got rid of the pay scales and paid us all the same.its disgusting but ALL Retailers will do it as B&Q have got away with it.

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