Employee Benefits poll: More than half of organisations will give their members of staff extra holiday days as a reward in the run up to Christmas this year.
Just 48% of respondents to an online survey said they were not allowing their workers to have any additional annual leave days in 2021 as a bonus, while 51% said they would.
Employee Benefits has reported recently that several employers are offering staff extra time off this festive period after another pandemic-hit 12 months.
Discount retailer Home Bargains will close its UK stores on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day to thank all its employees for their hard work over the past year. It will also be closing all shops at the earlier time of 5pm on Christmas Eve, with stores typically shutting around 8pm Monday to Saturday and 4pm on Sunday.
The retail giant, which employs 22,000 staff across 500 stores throughout the country, has said this is a way to reward staff who have worked throughout the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic, with the closures enabling workers to spend more time with friends and family after an “incredibly difficult period”.
“As a family-run business we know the importance of being together at Christmas with those we care about most, now more than ever, and this is our way of saying thank you to all of our colleagues for their continued hard work and dedication,” a Home Bargains spokesperson explained.
Supermarket chain Aldi has announced that it will once more keep all its stores closed on Boxing Day in recognition of employees’ hard work during the year. It has regularly made the decision to shut its doors on 26 December as a thank you to all members of staff since the first Aldi supermarket opened in the UK more than 30 years ago.
Kelly Stokes, recruitment director at Aldi UK, stated that the business wants to recognise and thank its “amazing” workers who have been going “above and beyond” to serve local communities over the past year.