THE owner of John Lewis and Waitrose is reportedly considering cutting up to 11,000 staff jobs in the next five years.
Sources said at least 10 per cent of John Lewis Partnership’s 76,000-strong workforce could go across the group’s head office, supermarkets and department stores.
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Department heads are working on plans and the number of roles in the business is expected to be gradually reduced over several years via redundancies and not replacing staff who leave, reports the Guardian.
Another source said this figure had been briefed to select staff by some managers as the company battles to bounce back from a £230m full-year loss.
John Lewis warned about potential job cuts in March last year as part of a plan to reduce costs and use technology to improve efficiency.
The group has already cut thousands of jobs partly through store closures, including 16 department stores and several supermarkets, over the past few years.
The announcement came shortly after several senior executives had left on the more generous deal.
JLP told staff it was making the change as the current package was “higher than typical market practice and comes at a very high cost”.
It said it needed to “free up cash” with a “more affordable” policy.
The 159-year-old retail group has been struggling in recent years amid tough competition and the costs of developing its online offering.
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John Lewis have been contacted for comment by The Sun.
Your rights in redundancy
Companies can choose to cut their workforce and employees should understand their rights.
You are entitled to statutory redundancy pay, but only if you have worked at your job for two years or more.
The statutory rate is based on your age, weekly pay and number of years in the job.
You will get:
- Half a week’s pay for each full year you worked aged under 22
- One week’s pay for each full year you worked aged 22 or older, but under 41
- One and half week’s pay for each full year you worked while aged 41 or older.
But it’s capped at 20 years and the max redundancy pay you can get is currently £16,320.
Some companies may offer to pay more than the statutory amount. This will usually be in your contract.
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Plus, you are still entitled to any pay you are owed for untaken holiday days at the end of your notice period.
The government has a calculator on its website to help you work out how much you are owed.
Which John Lewis shops have closed?
John Lewis have already shut a number of shops.
The following stores are permanently closed:
- Birmingham
- Croydon
- Heathrow
- Newbury
- St Pancras
- Swindon
- Tamworth
- Watford
Prior to the pandemic, the eight shops identified were already financially challenged, despite the drive and determination of our Partners.
The pandemic accelerated the shift from shopping in store to online, causing John Lewis to shut them down.
There are hundreds of Click & Collect locations throughout John Lewis & Partners and Waitrose & Partners shops, as well as selected Co-op and Booths stores.
When you place your online order, a list of Click & Collect locations near you will appear on the checkout page.
