Warehouse implements new fair wage plan

The Warehouse's pay rise comes into effect on August 1. Photo / Dean Purcell

The Warehouse Group staff members can look forward to a pay rise as the company implements its Career Retailer Wage - a bid to attract and retain employees in the retail sector.

Chief executive Mark Powell said from August 1, the start of the group's financial year, about 4100 team members would be earning the wage in recognition of their skills and experience.

"Highly engaged, customer focused teams are more motivated to serve customers well and - while pay is not everything - it is a significant factor in creating, developing and retaining motivated teams,'' he said.

The wage would be implemented across all of the group's retail businesses, including The Warehouse, Warehouse Stationery, Noel Leeming Group and - for the first time - team members in other group companies such as Torpedo7 would also be eligible.

This meant that team members who had completed the required training for a role and had 5000 hours of experience or more, would move to the new career wage for that role, Mr Powell said.

For the qualifying non-commission based team members, this would mean an increase to their base hourly rate to between $18 and $20 per hour dependent on the role, giving qualifying full-time team members another $20 to $50 per week on average, he said.

"This base level will mean that every team member on the Career Retailer Wage will be able to earn a minimum hourly rate, indicated last year, which is the equivalent of at least $18.50 per hour when the value of premium rates and benefits such as bonus incentives, team discounts and insurance cover are taken into account.''

The wage represented a pay increase over the past two years of between 10 and 20 per cent, Mr Powell said.

The group would be investing close to $6 million per year in the Career Retailer Wage on an ongoing basis, he said.

"Far too often retail is seen as a second rate career choice.

"We want to change that view and show that retail offers a well remunerated, fun and fast paced career - The Career Retailer Wage is just one part of our overall strategy.''