John Lewis forced to slash its generous perks

Starters at John Lewis and Waitrose will be placed on a three-month probationary period before qualifying as a partner and receiving the annual bonus.

The probation period follows the introduction of the National Living Wage, which mandates that employees over 25 are entitled to £7.20 per hour.

If they fail to pass the probationary period, staff will either have to leave or junior starters will receive another month to prove themselves eligible for benefits.

Last year, staff received an average annual bonus of £1,584 each, with the company paying out a grand total of £145million in bonuses.