Coronavirus: Morrisons to give frontline staff bonus increase

The grocer said full-time staff will earn a £1,050 bonus, compared with the £350 average last year, to recognise “the huge effort by its colleagues who are helping to feed the nation during the coronavirus outbreak”.

The retailer said this represented a 6% bonus on earnings and that, as it would be paid as a percentage of the entire year’s pay, frontline staff would receive the largest special bonus of all those announced in the last few weeks by the supermarket sector.

Morrisons said staff currently off sick or self-isolating because of the virus would still be eligible. The bonus will be paid quarterly.

Group people director Claire Grainger said: “Our highly valued colleagues have stood tall amidst the coronavirus pandemic, playing their full part in feeding the nation. We want to thank every single one of them for their continued hard work during these unprecedented times by paying a much higher guaranteed bonus for the whole year in recognition of their effort.”

Salaried managers are to receive a bonus that will be twice their maximum yearly amount in a normal year, guaranteed and paid quarterly.

The announcement comes on the same day the grocer launched click-and-collect food boxes for NHS staff.

The £30 boxes will be available for NHS workers to collect from hospital car parks and will be delivered on Mondays and Thursdays, so NHS staff have easier access to groceries.

The service launched at St James’s Hospital, Leeds, and Leeds General Infirmary.

Morrisons chief executive David Potts said: “At this important time, the NHS is supporting the whole country, so we need to support them too. We will be taking this service to many more hospitals to help feed NHS staff as they face the challenges of treating people affected by the coronavirus pandemic.”