Every Coles worker in Australia to be handed a cash bonus of up to $750 as a 'thank you' payment for working through the coronavirus pandemic
- Coles will pay up to $750 to staff as a 'thank you' bonus for working in COVID-19
- All staff including casual, part time and full time will receive different payments
- Several Coles employees worked long hours and were berated by customers
- Coles have reportedly allegedly underpaid staff by $150million in class action
- Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19
Coles workers will be handed as much as $750 as part of a one off cash bonus to thank them for their hard work during the coronavirus pandemic.
From May 25, casual, part time and full time staff will all be given the extra cash.
Department managers will receive $750, full time staff will receive $500, part time workers will be paid $250 and casual staff employed before March will receive $200.
Casual employees employed after March will receive $100.
In an email to Coles' 100,000 staff members, CEO Steven Cain said the money acted as a 'thank you payment' to employees that were forced to work exhausting hours after shelves were stripped bare amid COVID-19.
All Coles staff will receive payments up to $750 as a 'thank you' payment for workers amid coronavirus
'I am incredibly proud of the way that Coles team members have responded to the COVID-19 situation and helped us to truly deliver on our purpose to sustainably feed all Australians to help them lead healthier, happier lives,' he said.
'For eight weeks in March and April, we experienced an unprecedented level of demand and the pressure on our stores, sites, DCs and facilities was intense.
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'But thanks to your efforts, we were able to move record volumes of stock through our supply chain and onto our shelves so Australians could get the food, drinks, and groceries they needed.
'In recognition of your remarkable work during this period, I am very pleased to announce that Coles will be awarding a special thank you payment to our weekly-paid (wages) Coles team members across Supermarkets, Coles Express, Coles Liquor, Coles Distribution Centres, Chef Fresh, and RROA.'
At the height of COVID-19 several Coles employees were abused after customers became aggressive over social distancing rules and product restrictions.
Coles staff were forced to work exhausting hours during the pandemic after shops were stripped bare of products (pictured: shoppers line up outside a Sydney Coles in March)
Department managers will be paid $750 and full time staff will receive $500 in the one off bonus
In April, a 49-year-old Coles manager from Vincentia, on NSW's South Coast was spat on and had her eyes gouged after confronting a customer who was ignoring social distancing rules.
In another incident, a 16-year-old worker at a Manly store was berated by a man for not wearing gloves at the check-out.
He complained she was using hand sanitiser to protect against the virus instead of gloves and 'started to raise his voice and get aggravated'
The shopper then phoned NSW Police to report the teenage shop assistant.
The cash bonus comes after it was reported a class action had been launched against Coles after it allegedly underpaid staff by as much as $150million, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.
Adero Law filed the class action in a Federal Court on Friday covering around 5,000 former and current employees.
Maria Pabalan, a former Sydney Coles customer service manager is one of many staff involved.
A class action has reportedly been launched against Coles after it allegedly underpaid staff by up to $150million
She claims that while working at three Coles stores for three years she was not paid for overtime or penalty rates and was working 20 extra hours a week than what she was contracted for.
'I was doing ridiculous hours and not being paid for it. I just got paid for a 40-hour week,' she told the publication.
'I had my kids sleeping underneath the desk because I'd be there till eight, nine or ten o'clock trying to do the paperwork. I'd come in at five in the morning so I could drop off my son at childcare.
'It wasn't fair on my kids which is why I had to leave retail.'
In a statement to the ASX, the supermarket giant said it would defend the class action.
'Coles has committed to finalising its review and remediating affected team members as soon as possible.
'Coles has advised its existing team members of the issue and is aiming to commence remediation for relevant current team members in mid-2020 and former team members shortly thereafter.
'Coles will deal directly with current and former team members or their nominated union in relation to these issues.'
