John Lewis and Waitrose employees have called on the Partnership’s bosses to reinstate bonuses after a three-year hiatus.
Some workers have shared an open letter and launched a petition through the platform Organise urging the partnership to reconsider its decision to pause the bonuses amid its ongoing turnaround, The Financial Times reported.
In an open letter, they wrote: “We’re working harder than ever, with fewer staff and growing workloads, but getting less recognition.
“The bonus meant something more than just money. It was a sign that the company saw and appreciated us.”
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The campaign has attracted almost 4,000 signatures from current and former John Lewis and Waitrose employees, as well as members of the public.
“It is disheartening to see the bonus [paused] when so many partners . . . have worked extremely hard and remained committed during challenging times,” one worker told Organise.
The Partnership revealed in March that it would not pay an employee bonus for another year, despite profits tripling to £126m in the year to January 25 as sales rose 3% to £12.8bn.
The company said that it prioritised investing £114m into base pay for its employees rather than reinstating bonuses.
Chair Jason Tarry, who succeeded Dame Sharon White in September, said he was “determined to pay a bonus as soon as we can”.
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