John Lewis is set to undergo significant workforce reductions over the next five years, as confirmed by the company. Reports suggest that up to 11,000 jobs within the retail partnership,

constituting 10% of the total workforce, may be eliminated, as per information from The Guardian.

The company clarified that the job cuts would encompass redundancies and the decision to not fill vacant positions. While specific numbers were not disclosed to the BBC, John Lewis emphasized that the imperative to restore profitability is driving these workforce adjustments.

Presently, the group employs 76,000 individuals across its supermarkets, department stores, and head office, with ownership vested in its workers, referred to as Partners, through a trust.

A spokesperson for John Lewis stated in a communication to the BBC on Saturday that the company is executing a plan to return to profit, entailing substantial investments to enhance customer offerings, technology, stores, and overall operational efficiency. Despite evident progress, the company acknowledged that this path involves reducing the number of Partners in the business.

Details about the cuts were not disclosed, with the spokesperson asserting that it would be inappropriate to discuss specifics at this stage. The statement emphasized that the affected Partners would be the first to receive information about any changes.

John Lewis has faced financial challenges in recent years, marked by its second-ever full-year loss of £234 million announced in March 2023. In response, the company eliminated staff bonuses for the year and closed 16 department stores and several supermarkets, resulting in the loss of thousands of jobs. The financial difficulties were attributed to factors such as high inflation, increased labor costs, and escalated energy and freight expenses.

The announcement of further job cuts follows a recent communication to staff, informing them of the company's plan to reduce the redundancy package from two weeks of pay per year to one starting in February. Employees have reportedly expressed dissatisfaction with this decision on the internal messaging board, with some calling for an emergency meeting of the partnership council, which serves as a democratic forum through elected representatives. There are also grievances voiced regarding the more favorable redundancy terms granted to senior executives who recently departed the company. Photo by Simeon87, Wikimedia commons.