Waitrose and John Lewis have announced a major change coming to all UK stores. Staff at the supermarket chain and retailer will be getting more of a say in the “employee-owned” business.
John Lewis Partnership (JLP) is owned by a trust on behalf of all its employees, known as Partners, who share the responsibilities and rewards of ownership. As of 2024, JLP had around 74,000 employees. The company says it is built on “democratic principles, where every voice matters and everyone shares in our success” with an emphasis on fairness, transparency and “doing business the right way”.
Local Partner Forums will be introduced to every site, being shared by an elected representative to give staff another way to raise issues and make proposals which can be considered by senior leadership.
JLP used these until 2019, when they were scrapped in favour of regional meetings. These larger meetings will continue alongside the re-established site meetings to give partners “the best possible set-up to have their voices heard”.
The partnership has said it will be cutting the number of partners on its council from 58 to an undisclosed number, saying the company “relies too heavily on hierarchy and escalation” according to The Telegraph.
A JLP spokesperson said: “Whenever our three-year council term concludes, we review how to make our democratic model even more effective.
“This will see a stronger focus on local forums to raise local partner opinion alongside a tighter partnership council to support faster decision-making.
“The updates have been made in close consultation with our partners and the power of our council, and the vital role it plays in governing our business remains unchanged.”
