Supermarket giant, Morrisons, has announced a new rule which could mean huge changes for workers. The store says its workers will need to be more “flexible” and “multiskilled”. The supermarket’s shake up comes after working hours in Morrisons Daily stores are set to be changed. Managers of the stores were told to ask employees about their flexibility.

CEO Rami Baitiéh looks to cut costs to fuel his turnaround plan, reports The Grocer. For workers, they may be asked to switch their regular shift patterns, or relocate to another store. Employees will be expected to be “multiskilled across all areas of store operations” including working on the tills, working grocery and manning in-store Post Offices, in the “majority of cases”.

Changes will ensure Morrisons Daily stores better matched hours and shift patterns to customer demand.

In a memo shared internally with Morrisons staff last week, which was reported by The Times, insight into plans was shared.

“Our business and customer habits are constantly changing, and to remain competitive and sustainable, we must continually seek ways to improve our operational efficiency,” the memo said.

“Adjusting staffing store hours based on labour models isn’t about cutting back, it’s about matching the staffing levels to actual demand, ensuring we have the right people in place at the right time.”

According to reports, Morrisons is in the early stages of the consultation, with the outcome used to determine new hours for stores.

A spokesman for Morrisons said: “We regularly review our shift patterns to make sure they are in line with customer demand and recently began exploring options for more flexible working with Morrisons Daily colleagues, to further enhance the in-store experience for customers.

“Individual colleague circumstances are fully taken into account when any changes are being considered.

“The exercise is about having the right hours at the right time of day and being flexible on tasks in-store, so that we can better deliver for customers. It is all exploratory at the moment – no action has been taken.”