John Lewis Partnership thanks Partners for going above and beyond with recognition award and increased discount rate

Friday 3 April 2020

• All non-management Partners and first level managers working during April and May to receive an additional £25 per week worked.
• Partnership discount in Waitrose increased from 15% to 25% for all Partners across the Partnership, to remain permanently at 20% once the peak of the pandemic is over 

The John Lewis Partnership has announced that all non-management Partners and first level managers working from 12 April will receive a recognition award of £25 for each week worked in May and June. (£200 in total)

The payment will apply to all front-line Partners who continue to work to support the Partnership in Waitrose shops and John Lewis online.

This represents around 11% of an average full-time non-management Partner’s weekly pay* and follows the payment of a 2% bonus which was awarded to all Partners in March.

In addition, from next week the Partner discount rate for all Partners across the Partnership who shop in Waitrose shops will rise from 15% to 25% for thirteen weeks before returning . to a permanently higher level 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. I want to extend my continued thanks to every Partner. It is a privilege to be their Chairman.” 

This announcement follows the Partnership’s recent introduction of a number of measures designed to support the wellbeing of Partners including a support fund to aid those who are facing additional costs as a result of the pandemic; such as childcare costs. Partners are also being offered free meals at work.

^{*Percentage will vary depending on hours worked}

About the John Lewis Partnership

The John Lewis Partnership owns and operates two of Britain's best-loved retail brands - John Lewis & Partners and Waitrose & Partners. Started as a radical idea nearly a century ago, the Partnership is the largest employee-owned business in the UK and amongst the largest in the world, with over 80,000 employees who are all Partners in the business. For all intents and purposes, the Partnership is a social enterprise; the profits made are reinvested into the business - for customers and Partners. John Lewis & Partners operates 50 shops across the UK (36 department stores, 12 John Lewis at home and shops at St Pancras International and Heathrow Terminal 2) as well as johnlewis.com. Waitrose & Partners has 338 shops in England, Scotland, Wales and the Channel Islands, including 61 convenience branches, and another 27 shops at Welcome Break locations. Waitrose & Partners exports products to more than 50 countries worldwide and has nine shops which operate under licence in the Middle East. The retailer's omnichannel business includes the online grocery service, Waitrose.com, as well as specialist online shops including waitrosecellar.com for wine and waitroseflorist.com for plants and flowers.