Overview
- Asda says it is consulting elected colleague representative groups on possible adjustments to its short‑term absence policy and has made no decisions.
- Reports describe a proposal to move the reset period for absence records from six months to 12 months, lengthening the window for potential disciplinary action.
- The consultation is understood to cover more than 150,000 employees across roughly 1,200 stores, with no policy changes implemented during the process.
- Under the current system, a 3% absence rate triggers a review followed by two informal stages before any formal disciplinary procedure can begin.
- Employees quoted in coverage express concern the shift could deter legitimate sick leave and strain morale, with the move framed within wider turnaround efforts under executive chairman Allan Leighton.