Covid 19 coronavirus Delta outbreak: Foodstuffs giving 10 per cent bonus to essential staff

Foodstuffs North Island chief executive Chris Quin. Photo / Supplied

Supermarket giant Foodstuffs has reinstated a 10 per cent bonus for all its essential employees during the alert level 4 lockdown.

It has confirmed all essential and a few other key employees nationwide will receive a bonus to their hours worked while in alert level 4 lockdown.

The country's largest grocery retailer defines front-line and distribution centre employees as the following staff across all Foodstuffs retail stores nationwide, New World Pak'nSave, Four Square, Gilmours, Trents, Raeward Fresh, distribution centres and a small number of other impacted employees.

The company's North Island chief executive Chris Quin said, it was their way of showing gratitude to their staff for their work.

"Our number one priority is to look after our teams and supporting them during these challenging times.

"We are also working to increase staff access to vaccines," Quin said.

During the first lockdown in March 2020, the Herald reported Foodstuffs had announced a 10 per cent pay allowance on top of the normal pay cheque for any worker at a Pak'nSave, New World or Four Square outlet working through the month-long Covid-19 lockdown.

Foodstuffs South Island chief executive Steve Anderson said the company had also acknowledged the closure of schools and childcare centres and it was working with its affected staff members.

"We recognise the closure of education and childcare facilities is an additional challenge for some of our essential team members and we are working closely with these individuals to make special arrangements,"

Anderson also reminded people from panic buying.

"As we enter alert level 4 across the country we are once again asking customers to shop normal, be kind to our teams," he said.

Foodstuffs rival Countdown has been approached for comment.