B&Q and Screwfix shop-floor employees are set to receive pay increases of 8.2% and 9.3% respectively from 1 April 2023.
Staff at the home improvement stores, which are owned by parent company Kingfisher, will see their hourly rate rise to £10.60.
In some parts of the UK, B&Q workers will receive up to £11.85 an hour to reflect market conditions. The retailer will be awarding its 21-22-year-old and 18-20-year-old staff new rates that are higher than the national minimum wage (NMW) by 42 pence and £3.11 more respectively.
According to the company, the total investment of £34 million will be focused on lower paid colleagues and is one of its largest annual increases in recent years, which is being made in recognition of employees’ “hard work, and in order to support our colleagues with the rising costs they face”.
B&Q highlighted that while NMW rate differs by age, it “believes everyone deserves the same pay for the work they do, regardless of age”.
Staff will additionally continue to benefit from an award-winning pension scheme with up to 14% employer contribution, staff discounts of 20%, which have been enhanced to a discount rate of 30% for energy efficient products;, access to shopping discounts with a number of other retailers and entertainment brands, including essential retailers for grocery shopping, and an employee financial assistance programme.
At Screwfix, employees inside the M25 will benefit from a new hourly pay rate of £11.75, with more than two in five (43%) of service assistants being given a location premium.
The retailer’s staff also receive employee benefits including a 20% discount at Screwfix and B&Q, with 30% off of energy efficiency products, employer pension contributions up to 14%, access to Kingfisher share schemes, access to charity-backed financial wellbeing app Wagestream that equips colleagues with tools to help manage earnings, and access to discounts across various national retailers.
