Sainsbury’s sick levels are rising

MORE than one in 12 staff at supermarket giant Sainsbury’s are off work amid the nationwide surge in Covid cases.

Chief executive Simon Roberts revealed it had seen a “step up” in employee absence. Around 8% of Sainsbury’s 172,000 staff are off because of Covid or other reasons, double the normal level. A source said staffing levels are “OK at the moment but you wouldn’t want it to get much higher”. The chain’s absence level peaked at 30% last year. Mr Roberts said: “If the Government is prioritising part of the population, frontline workers, including retail and teachers, need to be prioritised.”