Menzies is supporting two initiatives in the UK to offer furloughed Menzies staff opportunities to work and help feed the nation at the same time. One is working for the supermarket ASDA and the other is helping farmers by picking fruit & veg.

We caught up with Dajean Smith, one of our ramp agents from London Luton Airport, to ask about his experience so far working for ASDA. He’s working night shifts at ASDA’s distribution depot in Bedford unloading pallets from delivery lorries, splitting them up and labelling the food so it’s ready to be sent to ASDA stores the next day.

Dajean explains: “I worked on the ramp at Luton offloading luggage so it’s pretty similar.  The guidance on manual handling from Menzies applies here and I had a week’s training at the start too. I was used to doing different shifts but working from 10pm until 6am is new.  It’s ok though.”

Dajean is one of a number of Menzies employees who are working on a temporary basis elsewhere whilst furloughed. He’s part of the easyJet team and wears his own branded Menzies/easyJet uniform to work.

He says: “I was really pleased that Menzies were on the ball and helped us find other opportunities to work quickly.  I have some friends who are looking for work themselves but it was much easier for me to do this because of the help.  Someone needs to help out just now so why not me?  I’d rather be working doing this than just staying at home right now.”

Dajean plans to work for ASDA until the Luton team call him back to the ramp.