UK fresh produce employees could be in for an increased Christmas bonus this year as employer “guilt” takes over.
Employers feeling guilty over reduced or non-existent pay rises are likely to attempt to stave off poor morale through festive bonuses and gifts, according to the Forum for Private Business.
In research carried out for FPJ, the forum reported “according to our members the situation is slightly better than last year. They have not been able to splash and increase wages but may be likely to use bonuses and gifts to keep up morale|”.
A spokesperson added: “I think there’s a feeling that employees who have stayed with business through a tough year should be rewarded and businesses are guilty that they cannot give implement pay rises so a bonus or a bottle of win is at least something.”
In its latest Economy Watch survey carried out in late November, the forum found that while average turnover at its members was up, profitability is down due to fuel and utility costs.
One source said that the major supermarkets are likely to remain static on their Christmas bonus pay outs. He said: “I can see it being the same as last year but I can’t see an increase. That said, they are all performing as well if not better than last year so I doubt we will see a decline either.”
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