For the first time in living memory Morrisons will shut its doors on Boxing Day to say thank you to staff for their efforts during the COVID pandemic.
Thoughts are now starting to turn to this year’s festivities leading to the supermarket giant announcing the major news on Tuesday.
It means over 110,000 employees will enjoy an extra day off this year, including colleagues at stores in Lake and Newport.
It remains to be seen whether other supermarkets will follow suit, partially reverting back to years gone by when shops would be closed for extended periods over Christmas and New Year.
In 2020 a number of Morrisons’ competitors shut their doors on Boxing Day – but Tesco and Sainsbury’s kept trading.
A spokesperson for Morrisons has this week said:
“We know everyone at Morrisons has worked incredibly hard over the last 18 months and continues to do so, as together we’ve responded to the unprecedented challenges of a global pandemic, serving our customers and local communities, and caring so much for each other.
“We’ve been listening hard to colleagues about how best to say thank you, and are pleased to confirm that this year we’ll take the exceptional step of closing all our supermarkets on Boxing Day, so as many of our key workers as possible can enjoy a two day weekend break with family, friends and other loved ones.”
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The other supermarkets should do the same ,as really no need for them to be open other than greed
i totally agree they have worked so hard through the pandemic they deserve a decent break .
Sounds good but Boxing Day is on a Sunday which means reduced shop hours anyway. If they really cared they would give them Monday off as well.
Well done Morrisons, people should be with their friends and family at Christmas.
Haha that’s only cus it’s a Sunday and only lose 6 hours trade and don’t have to pay them double time! Don’t be fooled! They not that nice!!
Do shift workers in supermarkets get paid double on Sundays? I don’t know. I would be surprised (and pleased for them) if they did.
Well done Morrison’s, I wish all companies would follow this example. Christmas is the one time of year that is truly family time, shops really don’t need to be open on Boxing Day. Most people have cupboards and fridge freezers rammed full of food and drink over the festive period and probably don’t need to buy anymore for about two weeks! I never go shopping on Boxing Day as a matter of principle.
I used to work at Morrisons. This is so big of them, NOT, awful employers. They treat staff with utter contempt. Random staff searches, if you clock in 15 minutes late, you get docked and hours pay, unfair if you had to get there by bus to work and not your fault your late, God help you if you have an accident and get injured, you will have to fight to get any kind of compensation. Booking time off is a nightmare, you have to accrue worked time before you can book any holidays, shall I go on, I don’t need to really because that is bad enough.
So they jolly well should, why make it sound like they are doing staff a favour?
Can’t understand why anyone needs to say cos they’ve worked hard, they work hard every day / year .
Waitrose has always closed boxing day .
Let’s hope all supermarkets and other shops follow suit !!!!!
Possibly, just maybe, because its a Sunday and they’ll be paying out Sunday and Bank Holiday premium? Not for the staff but to save their pockets? Any business like this and you’re just a payroll number I’m afraid, disposable at the drop of a hat.
What baloney.
Always closed Boxing day when they were a proper grocer with proper grocers at the helm.
so morrisons have chosen to close on a day associated with a religion. This is unacceptable – there are plenty of people who do not observe any religion or a christian religion and should not have their shopping days curtailed.