The 1st of April, the Council of Ministers adopted an ordinance for “More specifically reward employees who worked during the Covid-19 epidemic”. A premium of 1,000 to 2,000 €, tax exempt, recommended by Bruno Le Maire for these employees “Who have the courage to go to their place of work, who sometimes do so with fear in their stomachs”, said the Minister of Economy. The actors of the large distribution had quickly engaged, announcing one after the other the payment of said premium.
In reality, it’s more complicated. First, because some brands, like Intermarché, U system or E.Leclerc, operate through a network of independent or franchised stores. In this case, the store managers are the only ones to decide whether they want to apply the bonus or not.
Each brand has its own policy
For supermarkets that depend on a national brand, like Auchan, Carrefour or Lidl, the policy will be the same in all stores. And after the effects of the announcement, there will finally be conditions: no bonus for this employee who has been on sick leave at the wrong time, or for this other who has a contract with too few hours.
In the end, each brand has its own policy. Lidl will pay the bonus to all employees present between March and June with a contract of at least 30 hours; otherwise, it will be calculated in proportion to the working time. At Carrefour, it will be paid to all, full time and part time with a minimum of 26 hours. Auchan had announced, as of March 22, a bonus of € 1,000 for “All employees in stores, warehouses, drives, home delivery services and e-commerce site”. It will finally be calculated in proportion to working time, and only for employees present between March 15 and May 9.
A gesture according to the financial statement
At Leclerc, warehouse and logistics staff received their bonus. Michel-Édouard Leclerc, president of the centers of the same name, announced it on his blog on March 23, stating that “The 650 independent stores of the E.Leclerc network will define, according to their status and their social policy, the methods of organizing a fair bonus”.
According to several unions, no E.Leclerc store has yet granted a premium or has committed to doing so. Some directors are talking about a financial gesture in the coming months, depending on the financial statement.
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