Tesco workers say they were given tubs of Quality Street instead of cash Christmas bonus amid cost-of-living crisis

• Tesco workers were given tubs of Quality Street at Christmas instead of cash
• It was reportedly the second year in a row staff were given chocolate as a bonus 
• A staff member at the supermarket chain accused Tesco of ‘penny-pinching’ 
• Tesco said it has never given an annual Christmas cash bonus to its workers 

Tesco workers were given boxes of Quality Street chocolates worth £5 instead of a cash bonus at Christmas despite the strains of the cost of living crisis, it has been reported.

The supermarket giant paid staff a 10 per cent bonus in 2020 and has previously handed out shopping vouchers at Christmas, but staff members have said they were given chocolate instead for the second year in a row.

Tesco said it has never given its workers a regular cash bonus in the run up to Christmas, and instead doubled its staff discount to 20 per cent over the 2022 festive period.

One worker said it was the second year running he had been given a box of Quality Street, handed out at the discretion of his store manager.

(Stock Photo) Tesco staff were given boxes of Quality Street chocolates at Christmas instead of cash 

(Stock Photo) The supermarket chain said it had never given workers an annual Christmas bonus, and that it was ‘wrong to suggest that we have replaced one with chocolates’

He told The Guardian: ‘They’re certainly penny-pinching and trying to drive costs down.’

The staff member added he was given the sweets rather than cash despite the shop he works in raking in more than £10 million in December.

In 2019, Tesco agreed with unions that it would scrap its annual cash bonus, paid in March, in exchange for higher pay for staff.

The supermarket chain increased the hourly pay of its shopfloor staff twice last year – once in July to £10.10 and again in October to £10.30.

‘Special bonuses’ were reportedly given to staff during the Covid-19 pandemic in May and June 2020 as Tesco stores saw a surge in demand.

The Christmas bonus in 2020 was also paid to workers to ‘recognise their exceptional effort during the peak Christmas trading period’.

The more humble offering of Quality Street tubs given to staff this Christmas came despite what is thought to have been a hugely profitable period for supermarkets as shoppers looked to save money during the cost of living crisis by celebrating at home.

A spokesperson for Tesco told MailOnline: ‘We have never given a regular cash bonus at Christmas and it is wrong to suggest that we have replaced one with chocolates.

‘To help colleagues with their Christmas shopping this year, we doubled our colleague discount to 20 per cent in the run-up to Christmas – one of many benefits available to our colleagues, on top of the near 8 per cent increase in base pay we invested over last year.’

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