The discount supermarket will award the payment to staff members it classes as frontline colleagues, including customer assistants, warehouse operatives and cleaners, across over 800 stores and 13 distribution centres. Lidl said the payment is "in recognition of their tireless efforts to keep the nation fed and provide a safe shopping experience for customers up and down the country". In addition, Lidl GB will give all office based colleagues, amounting to approximately 1,800 people, a one-off £100 payment to recognise their efforts in supporting the business. The move will directly benefit over 25,000 colleagues across Great Britain and cost the firm £5.5 million. Christian Härtnagel, CEO at Lidl GB said: “Everyone in the food retail sector has been in the privileged position of being able to continue operating throughout this pandemic. "However, it has been an extremely challenging period and our teams have done a phenomenal job in helping to keep the nation fed. I am incredibly proud of the dedication and commitment our colleagues have shown and continue to show and this payment is about recognising their unrelenting hard work and thanking each individual for the important part they’ve played in the year like no other”. The payment follows a £150 voucher issued to all colleagues in March of last year, in recognition of their efforts, whilst in November 2020, Lidl announced that it would be increasing the wages of all colleagues on hourly rates, for the sixth year in a row. The new wages, which will come into effect from March 2021, will see entry-level wages will increase from £9.30 to £9.50 per hour outside the M25 and £10.75 to £10.85 within the M25.