Lidl Northern Ireland Creates 170 New Roles in Local Jobs Boost and Invests £300,000 in COVID Employee Bonus

Lidl Northern Ireland will recruit more than 170 new employees this year across a variety of operational and office-based roles to support its 40-strong network of stores and regional distribution centre in Nutt’s Corner, Co. Antrim.

The new roles are being created to support Lidl’s growth across the region and will expand the retailer’s workforce to over 1,200 staff. The new roles come with a market-leading benefits package including award-winning learning, development and progression opportunities within in the business.

As an essential business, Lidl Northern Ireland has continued to serve the communities it operates in throughout the pandemic by keeping its doors open, shelves stocked and also by helping to support the livelihood of many local suppliers with dedicated promotions. It has also continued to facilitate the export of local Northern Irish produce to its network of more than 10,500 stores in Europe, including a £24 million deal with Fermanagh’s Crust & Crumb who supply Lidl’s premium pizza range.

The commitment and dedication of Lidl Northern Ireland employees has also not gone unnoticed and the retailer has announced a new COVID Employee Bonus worth £300,000 which will be shared with all employees this year. This bonus is the third COVID bonus offered by the retailer to recognise the efforts of its staff during this period. 

The announcement comes after the Top Employers Institute recognised Lidl Northern Ireland as a Top Employer for 2021 this week. The esteemed international, sought-after certification, held by global brands such as PepsiCo, Adidas and Heineken, showcases an organisation’s dedication to a better world of work, exhibited through excellent HR policies and people practices.

The Top Employers Institute programme certifies organisations based on the participation and results of their HR Best Practices Survey. This survey covers 6 HR domains consisting of 20 topics such as People Strategy, Work Environment, Talent Acquisition, Learning, Well-being and Diversity & Inclusion and more.

Commenting on the announcement, Maeve McCleane, Director of Human Resources at Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland said:

“Since the onset of the pandemic our teams have demonstrated inspirational dedication and bravery in serving our local communities when they needed it most. I am delighted to confirm this significant investment in the form of a third bonus to acknowledge their selflessness and hard work in this challenging time.

“Our most important asset has always been our people, and 2020 has reinforced that they are in fact the bedrock of our business, which is why we have prioritised building not only an exceptional place to work, but also an inclusive, rewarding and fulfilling culture at Lidl for our employees. It is with great pride that we accept this year’s Top Employers certification and I look forward to welcoming many new colleagues to Team Lidl in the coming months.”

In late 2020 Lidl Northern Ireland announced an investment of £32m in five stores in the Greater Belfast, adding 100 new permanent jobs and supporting up to 1,000 jobs in the locality during the development and construction phases.

An independent review of its operations published by Oxford Economics in 2019 showed that Lidl Northern Ireland already contributes around £180 million annually to the local economy and sustains more than 3,500 jobs.

-ENDS-

Notes to editors

Regional breakdown of job creation and COVID employee bonus by county: