Asda announces £80m pay rise and new family leave policies
sda Announces £80m Pay Rise and New Family Leave Policies
Asda has unveiled a major £80 million investment in retail pay, benefiting around 115,000 store-based colleagues with an above-inflation increase of 4.7%.
The phased pay rise will see hourly rates increase from the current £12.04 to £12.21 in April, £12.45 in July, and reach £12.60 by October for colleagues nationwide. For those working in stores inside the M25, the hourly rate will rise to £13.82 by October.
Since being acquired in 2021, Asda has increased its base hourly pay by 35%, from £9.36 to £12.60, bringing total investment in retail pay to over half a billion pounds.
In addition to boosting pay, Asda is introducing a range of enhanced family-friendly policies effective from July:
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Maternity and adoption leave will be extended from 12 weeks to 26 weeks of full pay
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Paternity leave will double from two weeks to four weeks at full pay
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Kinship carers will be entitled to 26 weeks paid leave
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New policy for pregnancy loss will provide two weeks paid leave for losses occurring before 24 weeks
The supermarket has also increased its colleague discount to 15%, helping staff save more on their shopping.
Hayley Tatum MBE, Chief People Officer at Asda, said: “Our colleagues are what makes Asda special. This latest pay investment, plus enhanced family-friendly policies and greater in-store discounts, recognises the key role they play in serving customers each day.”
The new pay rates were agreed in partnership with trade union Usdaw. Jayne Allport, Usdaw national officer, welcomed the news, saying: “This above-inflation increase and alignment with the real Living Wage is a positive response to the cost-of-living challenges our members face.”
