Lidl has announced an investment of £29 million in employee pay, claiming the move will make it the UK’s highest paying UK supermarket.

The changes will affect around 35,000 workers across the country.

The discount supermarket said the pay rise is the seventh that the company has implemented since 2023.

From 1st March, entry-level hourly pay will rise to £13.45 nationally, increasing to £14.45 with length of service.

In London, hourly pay will increase from £14.35 to £14.80, rising further to £15.30 with length of service.

Lidl claims the pay rise means its employees will become the only supermarket workers within the industry to benefit from the Real Living Wage nationwide and the London Living Wage.

The company added that it is committed to maintaining this benchmark as the business continues to grow.

Alongside the pay rise, Lidl also announced it is doubling paternity leave from two to four weeks’ full pay.

After five years of service, new fathers will be entitled to eight weeks’ full pay, which Lidl says makes it one of the most competitive paternity leave offers in the industry.

The move builds on Lidl’s 28-week allowance for employees on maternity or adoption leave.

Lidl also currently offers paid leave for those undergoing fertility treatment and those affected by pregnancy loss.

“Our colleagues are the backbone of our business, and their success is our success, which is why I couldn’t be prouder that we’re able to offer the highest wages in the industry to reward our colleagues for their incredible work, said Stephanie Rogers, chief people officer at Lidl GB. “We are continuing to mark unprecedented growth across Great Britain, creating thousands more jobs along the way, while continuing to invest in our people.”

In January, rival Aldi announced it had invested £36 million in pay rises for its store employees, with starting pay for store assistants rising to £13.35 per hour nationally, and £14.71 per hour within the M25 from 1 March.

During the same month, Sainsbury’s also announced employees would get a pay increase amounting to over £1,200 a year for full-time hourly-paid workers.

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