To work in two different supermarkets

[ihate2020]

I have a permanent contract at one supermarket but they will only give me 12 hours other supermarket have offered me 4 hours temporary. I have worked out that I am better off doing 16 hours plus I won't be affected by the benefit cap.

I have heard another colleague say that they left their other job at another supermarket because of conflict of interest as the manager wasn't happy.

Both of the stores are in different towns so I shouldn't be seen by any managers.

Aibu to take it? It's only 4 hours on a Friday evening.

Some businesses, across all sectors, not just retail, have clauses in employment contracts that prevent employees from working for another company within the same sector. I would check your contract carefully before you accept these additional hours.

If your contract has such a clause, could the new supermarket offer you 16 hours, as your current one cannot?

What Bat said.

As with most retail jobs, they'll want you available any time to do extra hours for them.

They won’t allow it, you could pass confidential info on, you won’t but you get my drift!

I can get overtime now and again but they can't give me the full 16 hours.

I have read my contract and can't find anything about that at all.

They may want you to be fully flexible, in which case you can’t take on another job.

Ex supermarket manager here. Most supermarkets have it built into contracts that you can't work for a competitor. It's a conflict of interest.

If there's nothing in either contract forbidding working for a competitor, I don't think there's a problem. I doubt that part-time shopfloor workers have much in the way of inside secrets to spread, or even much chance to pass them on to those who might make use of them!

By the way, if you take a second job, it's usually taxed at basic rate, on the assumption that your first job uses up your personal allowance. That won't be the case, so you should ring the tax office and ask them to split your personal allowance between the two employers.
Otherwise, you can claim it back by filling in a tax return at the end of the year, but better not to have to pay the tax in the first place!

@lanthanum

If there's nothing in either contract forbidding working for a competitor, I don't think there's a problem. I doubt that part-time shopfloor workers have much in the way of inside secrets to spread, or even much chance to pass them on to those who might make use of them!

By the way, if you take a second job, it's usually taxed at basic rate, on the assumption that your first job uses up your personal allowance. That won't be the case, so you should ring the tax office and ask them to split your personal allowance between the two employers.
Otherwise, you can claim it back by filling in a tax return at the end of the year, but better not to have to pay the tax in the first place!

@lanthanum Part time staff have all the info that full time staff have. Sales figures, internal info on the intranet, so you’re wrong.