Mercadona employee at a Valencia supermarket

Mercadona shares €409 million with its entire staff

01 march 2021
  • The company recognises the great work carried out by all its employees during 2020 because, thanks to them, Mercadona has achieved the best management of its business in its history, having guaranteed the daily supply and opening of more than 1,600 stores in Spain and Portugal.
  • This pioneering initiative to share profits with the people responsible for generating them was launched over 20 years ago, and since then, the shareholders of the company have distributed more than €4.2 billion among its employees.
  • €366 million as a target bonus and €43 million in recognition of the commitment made during the health crisis.

Mercadona, a company of physical supermarkets and online sales, has decided to share €409 million in bonuses in 2020 with its more than 90,000 people that make up its staff. Specifically, today, 1 March, the company has distributed €366 million as a target bonus, in addition to the €43 million that employees received in April 2020 in recognition of their commitment and extraordinary effort demonstrated at the start of the health crisis that the country is going through.

According to Patricia Cortizas, Managing Director of Human Resources and External Relations of Mercadona, “in such a difficult year to manage as 2020, the company has performed better than ever in terms of management. Guaranteeing the daily opening of our network of over 1,600 supermarkets in Spain and Portugal would not have been possible without the talent and daily effort of each and every one of the employees who make up the company, as well as their commitment to prepare and stock our stores and to deliver online orders during such challenging times. For the entire Management Committee and me, it is a source of pride to have had the opportunity to witness that in extraordinary times, extraordinary people show up, such as the members of this staff, who, through their actions, have become an example for society”.

The decision to share the profit generated with our entire staff was first taken on a day like today, more than 20 years ago, in 2001. Since then, Mercadona has distributed over €4.2 billion, a figure that reflects its commitment to shared growth and recognition of the work and effort of the entire workforce. In fact, all employees, from their very first year at the company, receive an extra monthly payment if they reach certain goals and targets set at the beginning of the year, which amounts to two monthly payments after completing five years of service. As a result, the average monthly net salary of our entry-level staff currently stands at €1,800 approximately, including the extra payments and target bonus.

Measures to protect the health and safety of employees

Since the moment the State of Alarm was declared, Mercadona has allocated over €200 million to protect, reinforce and guarantee the health and safety of customers, employees and suppliers, making its facilities a safe place. This extraordinary expense has been mainly allocated, among others, to the purchase of personal protective equipment, disinfection, cleaning, and adaptation of security measures in stores, logistics centres, Hives and offices, and the strengthening of our medical services.

A pioneering HR policy in the sector

Mercadona has implemented a pioneering HR policy in the sector for several years, which fosters a work-life balance, training, and personal and professional development for all members of staff. Similarly, in August 2020, Mercadona approved its 5-day working week for supermarket staff, a milestone for the company and the sector, which enables us to improve work-life balance measures by offering two full days off a week and eight long weekends every year.

With this measure, the company strengthens its commitment to implementing pioneering work-life balance initiatives, a commitment that dates back over 25 years when it made the decision to make its entire workforce permanent members of staff with a firm focus on providing stable and quality employment.

Mercadona employee at a Valencia supermarketMercadona employee at a Valencia supermarket.

Mercadona employee at the Vitoria-Gasteiz Logistics Centre in Araba ÁlavaMercadona employee at the Vitoria-Gasteiz Logistics Centre in Araba Álava.

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