Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

National living wageLiving WageMinimum wage

Lidl will be first supermarket to pay staff recommended Living Wage

by Jo Faragher 18 Sep 2015
by Jo Faragher 18 Sep 2015 Around 9,000 staff will receive an average wage increase of £1,200 a year. Photo: Photofusion/REX
Around 9,000 staff will receive an average wage increase of £1,200 a year. Photo: Photofusion/REX

Retail chain Lidl will be the first UK supermarket to implement the minimum wage suggested by the Living Wage Foundation (LWF).

This means that, from October, Lidl employees will earn a minimum of £8.20 an hour (£9.35 in London), slightly higher than the rate suggested by the LWF, which is £7.85 (£9.15 inside London).

Minimum and living wage resources

How to review your organisation’s pay rates against the national minimum wage

Consultation on national minimum wage and national living wage

National living wage: an important but complex shift in policy

Lidl currently pays its staff a minimum of £7.30 an hour (£8.03 inside London).

The new pay rate equates to an average wage increase of £1,200 a year, according to the supermarket chain, with 9,000 staff benefiting from the rise.

The LWF is due to announce a further change in recommended rates in November, and Lidl has said it will adjust its rate accordingly if this increases.

The Living Wage set by the LWF is an informal benchmark aimed at reflecting the rate needed to achieve a reasonable standard of living, rather than a statutory minimum rate.

National living wage

In this year’s budget, Chancellor George Osborne announced a new national “living wage”, which comes into effect next year.

Employers will be legally obliged to pay this rate, and the Low Pay Commission will recommend future rises, with the Government aiming for it to reach £9 an hour by 2020.

Lidl UK chief executive Ronny Gottschlich said: “Lidl employees will be amongst the best paid in the supermarket sector.”

However, retail is one of the sectors most concerned about the impact of the Government’s new “living wage” on salary bills. A recent study from the Resolution Foundation found that, while the new statutory minimum will have modest impact on most industries, this impact would be much bigger for retail and hospitality as more workers are affected.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Earlier this month, Oliver Bonas became the first high-street retailer to commit to the Living Wage.

Rhys Moore, director of the Living Wage Foundation, said that Lidl’s announcement was “a massive breakthrough in the living wage campaign”.

Lidl
Jo Faragher

Jo Faragher has been an employment and business journalist for 20 years. She regularly contributes to Personnel Today and writes features for a number of national business and membership magazines. Jo is also the author of 'Good Work, Great Technology', published in 2022 by Clink Street Publishing, charting the relationship between effective workplace technology and productive and happy employees. She won the Willis Towers Watson HR journalist of the year award in 2015 and has been highly commended twice.

previous post
Five steps to prepare for gender pay gap reporting
next post
Public-sector redundancy pay to be capped at £95,000

You may also like

Next to improve wage-setting transparency after shareholder pressure

16 May 2025

Top 10 HR questions April 2025: increases to...

2 May 2025

Working when the clocks go forward: how should...

30 Mar 2025

Most businesses will need to adjust wages in...

28 Mar 2025

HR and businesses respond to Spring Statement

26 Mar 2025

April 2025: What’s coming up for HR?

21 Mar 2025

Pharmacies to work to rule over higher employment...

18 Mar 2025

CIPD calls for Employment Rights Bill clarity

6 Mar 2025

UK sees large rise in number of low...

27 Feb 2025

The future of apprenticeships: Why higher wages are...

14 Feb 2025

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+