Poundland's boss is giving his staff an extra week's annual holiday as a mark of gratitude for their work during the coronavirus pandemic.

In a raft of benefits, managing director Barry

Poundland's boss is giving his staff an extra week's annual holiday as a mark of gratitude for their work during the coronavirus pandemic.

In a raft of benefits, managing director Barry Williams has also doubled staff discounts and committed to the popular high-street store staying shut on Boxing Day and New Year's Day, so that workers can enjoy more family time. 

And for warehouse employees, the retailer has set up shops on site to help them have easy access to essential goods.  

Seven hundred of the company's 800 outlets have remained open during the outbreak, and has counted itself among essential services after Prime Minster Boris Johnson tightened restrictions.

Some of the benefits for the company's 18,000 employees were outlined by Mr Williams in a video posted on Facebook. 

Poundland's boss, Barry Williams, is giving his staff an extra week's annual holiday as a mark of gratitude for their work during the coronavirus pandemic. He is pictured in a video message, posted on April 15, to the company's 18,000 employees in which he outlined a raft of benefits 

Mr Williams, managing director of the popular high-street chain, has also doubled staff discounts and committed to the shops staying shut on Boxing Day and New Year's Day, so that workers can enjoy more family time

Seven hundred of the company's 800 outlets have remained open during the outbreak, and has counted itself among essential services after Prime Minster Boris Johnson tightened restrictions

He said in the message, posted on April 15: 'Sometimes just saying thank you isn't enough, so we're doing a lot to support our colleagues as well.

'Whether that's doubling the discount on all the products they can buy from us through our colleague discount scheme, providing extra holiday - all colleagues are getting an extra week's holiday because of the service they've provided - an extended break to spend with their families and loved ones at Christmas… 

'It really is important that we thank them for everything they're doing - they really are the heroes of our business,' according to The Grocer.

Like numerous produce stores around the UK, Poundland has felt the effect of public panic buying amid Covid-19.

Signs have been plastered across shop windows urging customers to not only adhere as strictly as possible to social distancing, but also warning 'there's no need to buy more than necessary'.

Like numerous produce stores around the UK, Poundland has felt the effect of public panic buying amid Covid-19. (Above, one of its stores, in Birmingham city centre in mid-March, on the day emergency legislation was brought in to tackle the crisis)

Towards the end of March, Poundland took to social media to indicate new safety measures put in place across all shops, including a new system to minimise social contact.

The company's post on Twitter read: 'From today we’re starting to fit new checkout screens to help protect those working and shopping in our stores. 

'Just one of the many measures we’ve put in place to help keep you safe.' 

The move to temporarily close 100 Poundland stores was due to reduced footfall in the stores by the start of April - after the Government declared a lockdown period and urged the public only to leave the safety of home for essential travel, shopping for necessities, or a daily period of exercise.

Poundland outlined at the time that the closures would allow it to 'provide better service to communities' while also putting the retailer in a better position for the business to recover once the current measures put in place to stop the spread of Covid-19 are later lifted. 

Staff working in the closed stores were moved to neighbouring Poundlands, in order to boost numbers and to help the process of covering for fellow employees on sick leave or those self-isolating.

Poundland indicated that where it was not possible to transfer a member of staff, the retailer would follow procedure of putting workers on a furlough - whereby 80 per cent of the employee's wages are paid up by the Government as part of an economic safety net to retain jobs across the country.