Lidl Ireland has committed to pay 4,200 of its employees the latest living wage rate of €13.85 (£12.13) per hour, as of 1 March 2023.
The grocery chain employs more than 5,000 employees across its 175 Irish stores, head office, regional offices and three distribution centres.
It has invested €7.5 million (£6.6 million) in this pay increase, as all of its other employees currently earn in excess of the new rate, which is recommended by the Irish Living Wage Technical Group. A full-time worker will see their earnings increase by approximately €1,500 (£1,313) a year.
This is the second pay increase Lidl Ireland has awarded employees this year, as all 5,000 received one back in March as part of a €10 million (£8.8 million) investment. It said it was in recognition of the ongoing hard work and dedication of store and warehouse staff as the cost-of-living crisis continues.
Between March 2022 to March 2023, the business will have invested €17.5 million (£15.3 million) in pay increases.
Maeve McCleane, chief people officer at Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland, said: “Our most important asset is our people and now more than ever before, it is vitally important that we deliver on our responsibility to support our employees to overcome the challenges of the cost-of-living crisis as best we can.
“In the current climate the most important thing for us as an employer is that we are playing our part in providing secure and well-paid jobs, that reward employees and provide financial security in a world of ever-increasing financial strain.”
Current employee benefits provided by Lidl Ireland include paid maternity, paternity and fertility leave, no mandatory retirement age, compassionate leave for early pregnancy loss and miscarriage, menopause support, flexible contracts, an employee assistance programme, paid volunteering, pension contributions after one year and paid health insurance for salaried workers.