Lululemon Athletica Inc. announced a comprehensive overview of the company’s approach to pay and benefits. Effective September 27, 2021, Lululemon will raise the minimum base pay for the majority of its store and Guest Education Centre (GEC) employees in North America.

As part of the additional investments, people who are currently employed and people who are hired from this point forward will receive a new minimum of $15 or $17 per hour depending on their job and the market. Employees will also continue to be eligible for Lululemon’s team-based bonus program, with the possibility to earn up to an additional $3 an hour, on average, and up to $6 an hour, for store-based goals and results achieved.

As Lululemon continues to grow and prepares for the holiday season, the company said it would hire more than 8,000 employees in North America across its stores and GEC. These roles will include full and part-time educator and key leadership positions.

“At Lululemon, continuing to support and invest in our people is our top priority,” said Celeste Burgoyne, president,  Americas & Global Guest Innovation. “Our store and GEC teams are the heart of our business and are vital in helping to shape our innovative guest experience. We are thrilled to reach this important milestone, and we remain committed to attracting and building passionate teams as Lululemon continues to scale and grow.”

Lululemon said today’s announcement builds on its commitment to provide its employees with valuable offerings as the company works toward becoming the number one place where people come to develop and grow. These offerings include but are not limited to:

  • Vacation time and paid sick leave for eligible employees, based on role and tenure, and sabbatical leaves at tenure.
  • Comprehensive health benefits for eligible employees and dependents, including mental health and support, an employee assistance program, and paid time off to promote wellbeing.
  • Global gender-neutral parenthood program with paid leave of up to six months for global employees at all levels based on tenure for maternity, paternity and adoption.
  • Sweaty Pursuits program for all employees with a monetary monthly allocation to take fitness and meditation classes in local communities and an employee discount program.
  • Eight employee-led resource groups unique to Lululemon’s organizational needs to create spaces, avenues and support for underrepresented employees.
  • Mentorship and leadership series programs to help employees build knowledge and skills to plan and grow their careers.
  • One-on-one coaching for employees to engage in a conscious and creative process that supports personal and professional growth.
  • An internship program that offers employees 12-week skills and experience development across different parts of the company’s business.

“We remain committed to investing in our people and will continue to update our holistic benefit offerings across the business on an ongoing basis. Our rewards strategy supports our employees, attracts strong talent, and recognizes exceptional performance,” said Susan Gelinas, SVP, People & Culture. “These base pay increases remain consistent with our top quartile rewards philosophy and align with our values to support and elevate our people. We’re proud to recognize their hard work, and we’re so grateful for all they have navigated over the last year and half during these unprecedented times.”

During the pandemic, Lululemon prioritized supporting its teams through global pay protection and introduced expanded benefit offerings in North America including sick pay for all its employees and spot bonuses to select frontline workers. Lululemon also supported over 400 employees through its We Stand Together Fund for individuals facing COVID-19-related hardships.

Photo courtesy Lululemon