Lidl commit to matching Living Wage for employees in Louth stores

Lidl, the first major nationwide employer to commit to paying the Living Wage in 2015, has made a further commitment to match the latest revised rate recommended by the Living Wage Technical Group effective from March 1st 2019. Among Lidl’s 4,300 employees nationwide the change will benefit 16% of employees, while all other employees working in Lidl already earn in excess of the Living Wage. Lidl currently employs a total of 115 staff in County Louth in its five stores located on Avenue Road and St Helena’s Terrace in Dundalk, on Donore Road and at the M1 Retail Park in Drogheda and on the Dublin Road in Ardee.

This proactive step continues Lidl’s exemplary track record as a pioneering, best-practice employer and is just one of many benefits Lidl has introduced in recent years to create a better workplace for all 4,300 employees. Current benefits enjoyed include: Employee Assistance Programme; paid maternity and paternity leave; subsidised Sports and Social; paid sick leave; paid volunteering; pension contributions after one year with the company; and paid health insurance for salaried employees. In addition to this employees benefit from extensive training and development opportunities which have enabled 43% of our current store management to progress through the company having initially started as Customer Assistants.

Announcing Lidl’s commitment to pay the latest Living Wage, John Paul Scally, Managing Director, Lidl Ireland said: “Lidl is proud to champion the Living Wage in Ireland. Our people are cen- tral to our success. They look after our customers, drive our operations and support our communities not just across County Louth but throughout Ireland. It is important for us to reward them - not just with market-leading rates but also by creating an environment where our colleagues’ holistic needs are prioritised including their overall sense of wellbeing. As part of our Work Safe-Live Well programme we’ve invested in many health and wellbeing initiatives over the past number of years, including the Step Challenge, life-saving Heart and Diabetes screening, Mental Health Awareness campaigns and our confidential Employee Assistance Programme. By continually investing in our team, we continue to retain and attract the best employees and, in turn, continue to serve our 1.5 million plus weekly customers the highest quality products cheaper than any of our competitors.”