Douglas: Agreement of short-time working arrangements

Douglas: Agreement of short-time working arrangements for the duration of the officially ordered branch closures in Germany. State-funded short-time working allowance for store employees and affected headquarter employees in Germany increased to 80 percent

State-funded short-time working allowance increased to 80 percent

Douglas Germany is amending the existing short-time working arrangements for the duration of the officially ordered store closures by topping up the short-time working allowance for the affected employees in Germany to 80 percent of net salary.

Short-time working arrangements based on the recommendations of the German retail association HDE

“We want to cushion the effects of the corona crisison our employees as far as economically possible.” Douglas Group CEO Tina Müller states. Douglas had already closed its stores in Germany in mid-March and agreed short-time working arrangements with the store employees as well as part of its
headquarter employees based on the recommendations of the German retail association HDE. Since then, Douglas has taken extensive measures to counteract the acute sales shortfall in the store business.

Douglas decided to voluntarily increase the short-time working allowance

On a now stabilized basis, Douglas has now decided to voluntarily increase the short-time working allowance paid by the German Federal Employment Agency for the affected employees from 60 and 67 percent to a uniform 80
percent of net salary. A respective top-up will also be paid even if the state’s benefits should be increased. In addition, all employees were still paid their full salaries for the month of March, although some employees have been on short-time work since March.

Müller: Cushion the impact of the crisis on our employees as best we can

Tina Müller, Douglas Group CEO: “During this severe crisis, our employees agreed to the short-time working arrangements in an act of solidarity. We are well aware of the personal sacrifices this entails. That is why we, for our part, want to make full use of the available financial framework to cushion the impact of the Corona crisis on our employees as best we can.”

[Text/photo: Douglas]