Morrisons to give staff Boxing Day off as a reward for their hard work during the pandemic

12 August 2021, 09:55

Morrisons will give all staff the day off on Boxing Day
Morrisons will give all staff the day off on Boxing Day. Picture: Alamy
Polly Foreman

By Polly Foreman

Supermarket Morrisons has announced plans to give their staff Boxing Day off this year.

Morrisons have confirmed that they will close all of their stores on Boxing Day to give their staff a well-deserved day off.

The UK supermarket, which has almost 500 branches, said it wanted to reward their 110,000 workers for their hard work during the pandemic.

Morrisons said that the move was to reward staff for their hard work over the pandemic
Morrisons said that the move was to reward staff for their hard work over the pandemic. Picture: Alamy

A spokesperson from Morrisons told the BBC: "Everyone at Morrisons has worked incredibly hard over the last 18 months as we've responded to the unprecedented challenges of a global pandemic, serving our customers and local communities".

"So this year we're taking the exceptional step of closing all our supermarkets on Boxing Day, so as many colleagues as possible can enjoy a two day weekend break with family and friends".

Joanne McGuiness, national officer at shop workers' union Usdaw, told the publication that she welcomed Morrisons "doing the right thing by their staff with the closure of supermarkets on Boxing Day".

There are almost 500 Morrisons stores in the UK
There are almost 500 Morrisons stores in the UK. Picture: Alamy

"Key workers have done so much this year and we are asking retailers to give their staff the longest possible break over the festive season to provide them with a well-deserved breather. We don't think this is too much to ask for," she added.

The move comes after a number of stores closed on Boxing Day 2020 to give their staff the day off, including Lidl, Aldi, Asda, Marks & Spencer, Pets at Home and The Entertainer.

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