John Lewis announces bonus for frontline shop workers

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Apr 6, 2020

John Lewis is the latest retailer to reward its store staff for working during the coronavirus crisis, announcing a bonus of up to £200.

The department store chain said all non-management staff and first level managers working during April and May will receive an additional £25 for each week worked.

The payment aims to reward those who have kept the business going during the government-mandated lockdown, which has put many supermarkets and grocers under pressure to meet unprecedented demand.

The bonus will increase shop workers’ average weekly pay by around 11%, and follows the payment of a 2% bonus to all John Lewis and Waitrose staff in March.

Additionally, all employees will see their staff discount rise from 15% to 25% across all Waitrose shops for 13 weeks, before returning to a permanently higher rate of 20%.

Sharon White, chairman of the John Lewis Partnership, said; “Partners have made significant sacrifices to ensure that we are able to continue to serve and support our customers. The measures that we have announced today are in recognition of their hard work and commitment and are part of a wider package of support available to help partners during this extraordinary time.”

The company has recently introduced various measures to support its workforce, including a support fund for those facing additional costs, and free meals for shop workers. 

Other food retailers offering store staff a bonus include Marks & Spencer, which will pay store and supply chain staff 15% more, and B&M, which has offered a “10% enhancement”. Tesco was one of the first to announce such a move, followed by Asda, the Co-Op and Morrisons.