Woolworths is giving staff more than $50 million in company shares and gift cards to reward them for working over the coronavirus period.
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More than 100,000 full time and part-time team members in Australia and New Zealand will be given up to $750 worth of Woolworths shares each, equating to around 22 shares based on today's share price of $34.91.
Full-time workers will receive the full $750 worth of shares,to be issued in July, where part-time employees will get a pro-rata amount based on the number of hours they work.
In order to be eligible, staff must have been hired before March 1 and must not already participate in the company's short-term incentives scheme in order to be eligible.
Store managers said the share offer was reward for the effort of staff dealing with the rush of shopper buying up supplies of toilet paper and hand sanitiser putting.
"From protests in Hong Kong, droughts and bushfires in Australia to the devastating volcanic activity in New Zealand and finally COVID-19, we have pulled together as a team to support each other, our customers and the communities in which we live and operate," Woolworths chief executive Brad Banducci said.
"We could think of no better way to thank and recognise our team than by making them shareholders in our group."
The rewards come as Woolworths is continuing to process backpay claims for the 5700 workers in underpaid more than $300 million over the past decade.
Full time and part-time employees will also receive a $250 Woolworths gift card, and casual employees who joined before March 1 will receive a $100 gift card.
However, casual staff hired during the pandemic boom will not receive any direct rewards but will be able to retain their 5 per cent staff discount until December, regardless of if they continue to work at Woolworths.
Around 30 per cent of the 100,000 eligible employees are full-time. Shares will be restricted from sale for three years, or when an employee leaves the company.
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