Mercadona’s unexpected change that affects its entire workforce in Spain

The supermarket chain announces a historic decision that affects its entire workforce in Spain and Portugal and involves an investment of millions of dollars with a direct impact on vacations, salary and work-life balance.

Mercadona has decided to take a step that has not gone unnoticed either inside or outside the distribution sector. The company presided by Juan Roig has announced a series of labor changes that will substantially alter the working conditions of more than 110,000 employees, with measures that directly target rest time and economic remuneration. The announcement comes after a period of solid results and reinforces a strategy that seeks to clearly differentiate itself from its competition.

More vacations: the change that marks a before and an after

One of the announcements that has generated the greatest impact is the extension of the annual vacation period, which will increase from the current 30 days to 37 days off per year. This measure will come into force in 2026 and will be applied indefinitely to all Mercadona employees in Spain and Portugal.

The company stresses that this increase in rest time means a direct improvement in the annual working day and in the quality of life of the employees. This is not a minor adjustment: the increase in days off entails an increase in salary costs of around 100 million euros per year, a figure that reflects the magnitude of the decision.

Extra pay for the entire workforce

The second major measure announced by the management committee has an immediate impact. Next March, Mercadona will pay an extraordinary bonus equivalent to a full month’s salary to all its employees, regardless of the country in which they work.

This additional payment will represent a disbursement of approximately 280 million euros and is in addition to the variable compensation system that the company already applies, which can amount to between one and two monthly payments depending on seniority. Altogether, vacations and bonus pay raise the annual investment to 380 million euros.

Recognition linked to results

Mercadona’s management links these decisions to the performance of the workforce and to the results obtained by the company in recent years. The company stresses that the collective effort of the workers has been key to improving productivity, efficiency and business management.

This is not an isolated move. In 2025, Mercadona already applied a salary increase of 8.5% to 100% of the workforce, a measure that laid the foundations for the new package of improvements announced now. The company argues that these policies are in line with its own human resources model, based on continually reviewing which decisions contribute value to both employment and the overall functioning of the organization.

A commitment to differentiate itself in the sector

With this set of measures, Mercadona reinforces its position as one of the companies that invests the most in working conditions within the distribution sector. The company frames these decisions within a long-term strategy aimed at maintaining high levels of commitment and satisfaction among its workers.

The top management insists that the objective is clear: to make the workforce feel recognized, motivated and fully involved in the project. A commitment that, beyond the figures, seeks to consolidate a labor model that has become one of the pillars of the chain’s sustained success.