There is currently hardly a larger grocery store in the Weilheim-Schongau district that is not desperately looking for staff.
The reasons for this are manifold.
District
– If it were about the size of the banner, then the shortage of staff in the Lidl branch in Weilheim is currently particularly great.
But Aldi in Weilheim and Rewe in Penzberg are also looking for new employees with a poster on the front door.
For Robert Möginger, branch manager of the Penzberg Rewe store, the search for personnel is a year-round business.
He currently needs employees for the shop counter – whether part-time or full-time.
Shortage of staff at Lidl, Aldi and Rewe particularly large - also because of working hours
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Hard to miss: The discounter Lidl in Weilheim is looking for new employees.
© Ralf Ruder
It is extremely difficult to find good people, especially skilled ones, even though your company pays according to the collective agreement and above.
The reason for this is the working hours, says Möginger.
Rewe in Penzberg (42 employees) and many of its competitors are open six days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
According to Möginger, another reason, in addition to the high fluctuation that is usual in the industry, is the lack of housing and the associated high rents in this country.
The situation is a little more relaxed for him at the moment because he has just hired three trainees and one full-time employee.
However: He is already looking for workers for the coming year, because then some employees will retire.
Lack of staff in the supermarket - Search mainly on social networks
The national press offices of Aldi, Lidl, Kaufland and Feneberg also confirm the lack of personnel and skilled workers.
“For our recruiting, we use social networks such as Instagram and TikTok in particular, but also target group platforms or Google.
In addition, we also draw attention to our training opportunities in our branches, such as in the Weilheim-Schongau district, with flyers, displays and posters," writes the Kaufland press office, for example.
You can find more current news from the Weilheim-Schongau district at Merkur.de/Weilheim.
"There can always be regional fluctuations in our vacancies, but no general pattern can be identified here," writes the press office of Feneberg.
The company is mainly active in the Allgäu and in the western district.
Due to a lack of staff: In some places, opening hours are being reduced
Biomichl in Weilheim could also use staff – currently cashiers.
However, the situation is by no means dramatic, says Karin Sendl, who runs the organic farm with her husband Michael.
As reasons for the relatively relaxed situation, she cites the good working atmosphere, the pay based on the collective agreement with additional remuneration options and the working hours: In her company, the actual working hours are paid - this is not the case everywhere.
In addition, the employees are supported when they are looking for an apartment, for example with notices and broker contacts.
Manuel Kern, union secretary in the Verdi district of Allgäu with the districts of Weilheim-Schongau and Garmisch-Partenkirchen, confirms that many grocery stores can only dream of these conditions.
"The situation is dramatic, some shops are already reducing opening times or offers."
The working hours and the increasingly extreme desire for flexibility by employers can no longer be reconciled with the ideas of the employees.
In addition, the payment is too low: according to the tariff, the upper earnings limit in retail is 2800 euros.
In view of the inflation and the high rents, especially in the Weilheim-Schongau district, that is no longer sufficient, says Karn.
Lack of staff in the supermarket: Some pay well below the tariff
In addition, some companies paid below tariff, for example the V-Markt.
The wages at Feneberg are even well below the tariff.
The family business faced bankruptcy in 2019 and is currently in the restructuring phase.
Companies like Lidl, Aldi or Netto at least leaned towards the standard wage.
Kaufland with markets in Weilheim and Peißenberg is “exemplary” in this regard.
According to Karn, payment is made there according to the tariff.
By the way: everything from the region is also available in our regular Schongau newsletter.
And in our Weilheim-Penzberg newsletter.