Well Pharmacy increases pay for 4,500 employees

Tracy Barton

Pharmacy chain Well is increasing hourly pay rates by between 2% and 10% for 4,500 employees.

The organisation, which employs around 7,000 members of staff, will implement the increases across seven roles in its pharmacy stores and driving teams.

Healthcare assistants and pharmacy assistant trainees will see their pay rise by 8% from £6.83 an hour to £7.38 an hour; pharmacy assistant pay will rise from £7.33 an hour to £8.07 an hour; healthcare assistant trainee pay will increase by 10% from £6.70 to £7.38; and pharmacy technicians will benefit from a 2% pay increase, with their hourly rate rising from £8.97 to £9.15.

In its driving teams, delivery drivers’ pay will increase from £6.76 to £7.33 an hour, and delivery team managers will see their hourly pay increase from £8.69 to £8.86.

The increases will bring pay for pharmacy store staff and drivers above the national living wage rate of £7.20 an hour, and will apply to employees of all ages.

Tracy Barton (pictured), HR director at Well Pharmacy, said: “We’ve benchmarked ourselves against the pharmacy and retail markets and are investing in colleagues who are behind the national average. Given the challenges that are out there in the pharmacy sector, we will need our colleagues to play a vital role in helping us deliver our ambitious growth plans and continue delivering expert advice and service to our customers and within our communities.

“For more than 2,000 colleagues, this pay rise represents a near 10% increase in their current salary. The rates will apply to all new starters, including trainees. We will support all trainees through their qualifications. Any colleague who then qualifies and registers as a pharmacy professional will move to the rate for pharmacy technicians as part of our commitment to making sure our colleagues are recognised when they develop new skills, in turn providing even better care for our customers.”