Home Bargains won’t open on Boxing Day - and staff will be given a bonus

Shoppers planning to hit the Boxing Day sales won’t be picking up any items at Home Bargains this year, as the discount brand is staying closed once again. This will mark the third consecutive year that the chain has shut shops on 26 December to give its staff the chance for a Christmas break. As in previous years, the day off is not taken out of staff holiday allowance, meaning workers will still get paid. Stores will also close slightly earlier than normal on Christmas Eve - at 5pm, compared to between 6pm and 8pm - to allow workers to get home for celebrations. DIY retailer Wickes also recently announced it will shut its stores for three days over Christmas this year to allow staff to have a break. This marks the first time the retailer has closed on Christmas Eve in its 48 years on the high street. Staff rewards Home Bargains has announced it will reward its staff for all their hard work throughout what has been an especially difficult year with two weeks’ extra salary as a token of appreciation. Earlier this year, the retailer announced that any team member who had to self-isolate due to coronavirus would receive up to two weeks of pay. Now it wants to ensure all employees receive that pay, regardless of whether they have been required to self-isolate or not. This means that any worker employed before 22 March who has not needed to quarantine over the last seven months will receive the extra cash in November. The retailer has more than 22,000 employees and 500 stores across the UK. A spokesperson for Home Bargains said, “We want to recognise how hard our staff have worked throughout some very challenging times and allow them to relax and truly enjoy the break safely with their loved ones. "Home Bargains is a family-run business, and we know the importance of being together at Christmas time, now more than ever. "Our staff work tirelessly to keep all our stores running smoothly no matter what and this is our way of saying thank you to all of our staff for their hard work and commitment."