QUICK ANSWER Co-op store workers — customer team members, team leaders on hourly pay, and post office counter staff in Co-op stores — are claiming that their work is of equal value to the higher-paid, predominantly male jobs in Co-op’s distribution centres, with a reported pay gap of £1 to £3 an hour. The Co-op claim is at an earlier stage than Asda, Tesco and Morrisons. Claims have been issued by Leigh Day on behalf of Co-op store workers and the case is working through the comparability and equal value stages; no hearing dates for the final defence stage have yet been fixed. In Scotland a successful claimant recovers up to 5 years of back pay plus interest, and a full-time worker with 5 years’ service could be owed £16,000 or more. Scottish Claims Helpline works on a no win no fee basis — use the estimator below, then complete the short form.
Co-op Equal Pay Claim Calculator
Indicative back pay based on the reported hourly gap. Scotland: up to 5 years recoverable.
Estimated back pay (before interest)
£0
ⓘ Indicative only. The hourly gap has not yet been fixed by the tribunal for Co-op; the figures used are those reported in the litigation. Actual back pay depends on your role, pay grade, hours and the final tribunal findings, and interest is added on top. This tool does not constitute legal advice.
Working at Co-op? You Could Be Owed Thousands.
Co-op’s food stores are staffed predominantly by women on hourly customer team member contracts; its distribution depots are staffed predominantly by men on higher hourly rates. The claim, brought by Leigh Day, says those roles are of equal value under the Equality Act 2010 and that the gap - reported at £1 to £3 an hour - cannot be justified. It follows the route already taken by Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons store workers.
Scottish Claims Helpline handles Co-op equal pay claims for store workers across Scotland on a no win no fee basis. Your claim is part of a group action against the company, run by specialist employment solicitors. There is no financial risk to you.
Where the Co-op Claim Stands
Co-op is the smallest of the five supermarket claims but follows the same legal route. Leigh Day has issued equal pay claims on behalf of Co-op food store workers, arguing that customer team members and other hourly-paid store staff do work of equal value to the predominantly male workers in Co-op’s distribution depots and are paid less. The case is progressing through the early stages - comparability and equal value - and no date has yet been fixed for a material factor defence hearing. The tribunal findings in the Asda case, where most store roles were found to be of equal value, and the Next case, where the retailer was unable to justify paying store workers less than warehouse staff, set the pattern the Co-op claim is expected to follow.
How Much Could You Receive?
| Service in a Co-op store | Indicative back pay (30 hrs/week, £2.00 gap) |
|---|
| 1 year | £2,600 – £3,600 |
| 2 years | £5,300 – £7,200 |
| 3 years | £8,000 – £10,800 |
| 5 years (Scottish maximum) | £13,300 – £18,000 |
Before interest. Full-time workers and those on higher store grades recover more; part-time workers pro rata. In Scotland back pay is limited to 5 years by the Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973; in England it is 6.
That’s not all. Equal pay covers every contractual term, not just the hourly rate — overtime premiums, unsocial hours payments, bonus and pension contributions where the distribution centre terms were better. Interest is added to the whole sum, and for claimants still working at Co-op the losses keep accruing until the pay is equalised.
Who Can Claim?
Anyone who works, or left within the last six months, in an hourly-paid role in a Co-op food store in Scotland - customer team members, hourly-paid team leaders, and post office counter staff based in store. Salaried store managers are not covered. Men in store roles can claim on the same basis. Scotmid and other independent co-operative societies are separate employers and are not part of this claim.
Co-op Equal Pay Claim — Frequently Asked Questions
A Co-op equal pay claim is worth the difference between what you were paid in store and what a comparable distribution centre worker was paid, for every hour you worked, going back up to 5 years in Scotland, plus interest. With a reported gap of £1 to £3 an hour, a full-time worker with 5 years of service could be owed £16,000 or more. Use the estimator on this page for your own hours.
The Co-op claim is at an earlier stage than Asda, Tesco and Morrisons. Claims have been issued by Leigh Day on behalf of Co-op store workers and the case is working through the comparability and equal value stages; no hearing dates for the final defence stage have yet been fixed.
Yes, if you currently work in an hourly-paid role in a Co-op food store, or left within the last six months. Because the Co-op claim is at an earlier stage, joining now means being in from the start of the equal value process, with back pay accruing from the earliest possible date.
Hourly-paid store roles: customer team members, hourly-paid team leaders, and post office counter and funeralcare support staff based in Co-op food stores. The comparators are the predominantly male roles in Co-op's distribution centres. Men in store roles can claim too, as the comparison is between the roles rather than the individuals.
No. It is unlawful for an employer to dismiss, discipline or treat you less favourably for bringing an equal pay claim, and tens of thousands of current Co-op employees are already claimants. The claim is against the company, brought by solicitors as part of a group action - you are not taking on your manager or your store.
Yes - the estimator on this page multiplies your weekly hours by the reported hourly pay gap and your years of service, capped at the 5-year back-pay limit that applies in Scotland. It gives an indicative range; the actual figure is calculated from your pay records once the tribunal fixes the gap.
How Do I Start My Co-op Claim?
Complete the short form. It asks for your store, role, dates and hours — nothing more — and takes 2 minutes. A specialist Scottish employment solicitor will confirm whether you qualify and add you to the claim on a no win no fee basis. You pay nothing unless the claim succeeds.
About this page: Written by
David Gildea, Scottish Claims Helpline. Last reviewed: September 2026. Claim stage information is updated as the litigation progresses. Scottish Claims Helpline is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (
FRN 830381).