The Christmas period is a great time to pick up extra work, with supermarket giants like Sainsbury's hiring tens of thousands of workers to keep up with demand (Image: PA)

Sainsbury's ramps up Christmas hiring with 20,000 new roles for the busiest time of year

The supermarket giant is looking for shop workers, warehouse staff and drivers for its busiest time of year

by · Birmingham Live

Sainsbury's is gearing up for the festive rush by announcing plans to recruit 20,000 workers to handle the Christmas shopping season. The new hires will include roles at Sainsbury's and Argos locations across the UK.

Job seekers can now apply for seasonal positions, which are available for varying contracts of up to three months, during what's tipped to be a particularly busy period. The bulk of the jobs will be at Sainsbury's storesnumbering 18,000 while Argos is set to fill another 2,000 spots.

Roles are diverse and include shop floor staff for restocking shelves, warehouse workers tasked with picking and packing stock, as well as drivers to facilitate home deliveries. With flexible fixed-term contracts spanning from a few weeks to three months on offer, there's an opportunity to join the team for those who can only commit short-term.

READ MORE: DWP PIP payment levels could face radical overhaul in decision on vouchers plan

Wages are competitive, with hourly rates starting at £12 and going up to £13.50 for in-house and warehouse staff, depending on location and job duties, while drivers can expect to earn between £13 and £14.65 per hour.

Temp staff will get discounts, as well as a nice hourly rate (Image: No credit)

In addition to pay, seasonal workers are treated to free meals during their shifts and get a 10 per cent discount on store purchases. This discount gets a boost to 15 per cent on Fridays and Saturdays at Sainsbury's and on payday at Argos.

Prerana Issar, Sainsbury's chief people officer, said: "As the festive season draws near, we're getting ready to create a memorable Christmas for our customers and our brilliant colleagues play a central role in bringing this to life.

"Joining us during this busy time is a fantastic opportunity to meet great people and acquire skills that will stay with you long after the festive season."

With approximately 1,400 stores including supermarkets and convenience shops around the UK, Sainsbury's maintains its position as the nation's second-largest supermarket chain, coming in just behind Tesco.

It noted a surge in sales last Christmas, with customers snapping up record numbers of pigs in blankets, mince pies and sparkling wine.