Will other supermarkets follow suit?
Asda will close on Boxing Day, allowing its staff to take the day as holiday, as a thank you for working throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
When much of the country was furloughed, working from home, or without a job at all supermarket workers were putting themselves at risk and guaranteeing the food (and bog roll) supply.
The supermarket joins several other retailers opting to give their staff a well-earned day off instead of opening on the public holiday.
Asda CEO Roger Burnely said: “This has been a challenging year and you have all done an incredible job, continuing to serve our customers and communities while juggling so many other commitments.
“But it’s also been challenging from a personal perspective as we have not been able to spend time with our families and friends, which has been hard for us all.
“This is of course our busiest time of year but it was important for us to give as many of you as possible the opportunity to spend this time with those loved ones that you may not have not seen for many months so, uniquely for this year, we will not reopen our stores until 27 December.”
Roger Jenkins, national officer of the GMB union, said: “It’s a shame this is not extra holiday – workers will have to book a day of their annual leave entitlement.
“But it’s a step in the right direction and GMB now calls on the rest of the retail sector to follow suit and repay these key workers with a chance to spend Boxing Day with their loved ones.”
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