Waitrose introduces £13.25 rule in all UK – started in April | UK | News
Shop floor staff at Waitrose stores across the country saw their hourly pay increase earlier this year, in a major boost for the chain’s employees. From April 1, their pay was upped to at least £13.25 nationwide, with those working within the M25 getting £14.80 per hour.
Rates of pay rose to £14.31 per hour for workers outside the M25 who “gain enhanced skills and take on specialist roles”, rising to £15.98 per hour for London workers. Waitrose is operated by the employee-owned John Lewis Partnership, and shop-floor staff at its main brand, John Lewis, who have also benefited from the change. It represents a 6.9% pay increase for shop staff at both chains, outstripping the national minimum wage rise and translating to an extra £1,600 per year for a typical full-time Partner, the John Lewis Partnership said at the time.
According to the retail business, the pay rise represented a £108 million investment in its workforce.
John Lewis Partnership’s chief people officer, Helen Webb, said: “Our partners are the heartbeat of our business. This £108 million investment is about putting more money into their pockets month-in, month-out. This pay growth demonstrates a sustained commitment to partner pay, consistent with previous years.
“This ensures that the rewards for our partners’ hard work are built into their monthly pay as we continue to invest in the future of the Partnership.”
It came as rival supermarket chains also upped workers’ pay to retain and attract staff, as cost-of-living pressures continue to bite.
Sainsbury’s previously brought in an above-inflation pay increase of 5% for hourly paid workers from March.
Hourly pay increased to £13.23 per hour nationally, whilst in London it rose to £14.54 per hour.
In London, entry-level store workers saw their pay upped to £14.80 per hour, while the hourly rate for experienced staff can rise up to £15.35.
The following month, Store Assistants working at Aldi’s UK branches also say their pay boosted (to £13.50 per hour nationally, with those working inside in the M25 getting £14.88).
These pay rates rise to £14.47 and £15.20 respectively based on length of service. Aldi said at the time that the change would benefit 28,000 hourly-paid store workers, and that the new rates are higher those of all its competitors.
