Chronic staff shortages, 2am starts and extreme anxiety: inside a Coles supermarkets supply warehouse

Coles said more workers were recruited and additional stock bought but the impact of Omicron was ‘materially greater than the contingency plan anyone could put in place’. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

A worker at a warehouse supplying Australian supermarkets says managers were not prepared for the Omicron onslaught, resulting in long shifts and stress among workers covering for absent colleagues due to the pandemic.

The employee in the supply chain serving Coles, who asked not to be identified due to fear of reprisal, said about a quarter of staff were off work due to Omicron.