QUICK ANSWER Tesco store workers — checkout, customer assistants, shelf fillers, dotcom pickers, bakery, deli and customer service desk staff — are claiming that their work is of equal value to the higher-paid, predominantly male jobs in Tesco’s distribution centres, with a reported pay gap of £1.50 to £3 an hour. The Tesco claim is at the final stage. The material factor defence hearing - where Tesco had to justify why store workers are paid less than distribution centre workers - ran from 1 May to 10 June 2026 at Reading Employment Tribunal, and a ruling is expected in autumn 2026. In May 2026 the Court of Appeal rejected Tesco's challenge to the tribunal's approach. 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 £20,000 or more. Scottish Claims Helpline works on a no win no fee basis — use the estimator below, then complete the short form.
Tesco 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 Tesco; 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 Tesco? You Could Be Owed Thousands.
Tesco is Britain’s biggest private employer, and its store workforce is predominantly female while its distribution centre workforce is predominantly male. The claim, brought by more than 60,000 current and former staff, says the two groups do work of equal value and that the difference in hourly pay - reported at up to £3 an hour - cannot be justified. Equal value has been assessed on Tesco’s own job descriptions and training materials, an approach the Court of Appeal upheld in May 2026.
Scottish Claims Helpline handles Tesco 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 Tesco Claim Stands
The Tesco claim is the largest supermarket equal pay case after Asda, with more than 60,000 store workers involved. It reached its final stage in 2026. The material factor defence hearing, at which Tesco had to show that the difference between store and distribution centre pay was down to something other than sex, ran from 1 May to 10 June 2026 at Reading Employment Tribunal, with Tesco relying heavily on ‘market rates’ for warehouse work. A ruling is expected in autumn 2026. Tesco also went to the Court of Appeal to argue that the tribunal should assess store roles on what staff do day-to-day rather than on Tesco’s own training and operational documents; in May 2026 the Court of Appeal rejected most of that challenge, which claimant lawyers regard as a significant development. Tesco’s position remains that the jobs in its stores and distribution centres are different. If the tribunal finds against Tesco on the material factor defence, the claims move to the assessment of each claimant’s back pay.
How Much Could You Receive?
| Service in a Tesco store | Indicative back pay (30 hrs/week, £2.50 gap) |
|---|
| 1 year | £3,300 – £4,500 |
| 2 years | £6,600 – £9,000 |
| 3 years | £9,900 – £13,400 |
| 5 years (Scottish maximum) | £16,500 – £22,400 |
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 Tesco the losses keep accruing until the pay is equalised.
Who Can Claim?
Anyone who works, or worked within the last six months, in an hourly-paid role in a Tesco store in Scotland - Express, Metro, Superstore or Extra. Checkout operators, customer assistants, shelf fillers, dotcom pickers, bakery, deli and counter staff and customer service desk staff are all covered; team managers and salaried roles are not. Men in store roles can claim on the same basis. If you have worked for more than one of the supermarkets facing claims, you may be able to join more than one action.
Tesco Equal Pay Claim — Frequently Asked Questions
A Tesco 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 £1.50 to £3 an hour, a full-time worker with 5 years of service could be owed £20,000 or more. Use the estimator on this page for your own hours.
The Tesco claim is at the final stage. The material factor defence hearing - where Tesco had to justify why store workers are paid less than distribution centre workers - ran from 1 May to 10 June 2026 at Reading Employment Tribunal, and a ruling is expected in autumn 2026. In May 2026 the Court of Appeal rejected Tesco's challenge to the tribunal's approach.
Yes, if you currently work in a Tesco store in an hourly-paid role, or left within the last six months. The six-month rule is the employment tribunal time limit for equal pay claims and it runs from the date you left, so former staff should check quickly. Once in the claim, your back pay accrues for up to 5 years in Scotland.
Hourly-paid store roles: checkout and self-service operators, customer assistants, shelf and stock fillers, dotcom and click-and-collect pickers, bakery, deli and counter staff, and customer service desk staff. The comparators are the predominantly male roles in Tesco'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 Tesco 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 Tesco 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).