John Lewis workers could receive bonus for first time in four years

John Lewis workers could reportedly receive their bonus for the first time in four years if the company beats its £200m profit target amid turnaround plans, The Financial Times has reported.  

In an internal update seen by the paper, the employee-owned company said that if profits exceeded the target then it would “recommend to the board that we pay a bonus”.  

The retailer reportedly said it was aiming to make over £200m in profits for the year ended January 2026, adding that “to get there we need to keep focused on the right things and deliver our plans”.  

It comes as new chair Jason Tarry is overseeing a revival of the group, which has faced falling profits and sales in recent years. However, in the year to January 2025, profits rose to £97m, up from £56m the prior year, marking its second year of positive earnings after three consecutive full-year losses. 

While John Lewis declined to comment on speculation, a spokesperson said: “As we said at our full year results in March, we expect to increase our profitability in the coming year.”

The last time the partnership paid a bonus was for the year to January 2022, having scrapped the bonus for the first time since 1953 in 2020, after reporting a half-year loss of £635m amid the pandemic. 

Earlier this year, the John Lewis Partnership confirmed its staff would not receive a bonus for the third year in a row, with the group instead focusing on investment into employee pay. 

While employees once again missed out on their yearly bonus, the company said it was investing a further £114m into staff pay, building on a £116m increase in 2024.

However, some workers shared an open letter and launched a petition through Organise calling on bosses to bring back bonuses after the three-year hiatus. 

The campaign attracted more than 4,000 signatures, including current and former John Lewis and Waitrose employees, as well as members of the public.

The petition said: “We’re working harder than ever, with fewer staff and growing workloads, but getting less recognition. The bonus meant something more than just money. It was a sign that the company saw and appreciated us. We’re proud of where we work. We’re proud of the Partnership. But we can’t ignore what’s happening. We’re calling on the John Lewis Partnership to bring back the bonus.”