Step 1: It all started with a John Lewis worker asking a question to their colleagues on the Organise platform: “Are you worried the John Lewis Partnership model is being eroded?”

This worker was worried that something was shifting. For years, the company had prided itself on being owned by its staff, the Partners, with everyone getting a share of the profits. But the staff bonus, once a proud tradition, hadn’t been paid for three years, even while the top boss was taking a pay rise to £1.3 million a year.

That quick question sparked something big. 96% of John Lewis workers said yes, they were worried that the partnership model was being eroded.

Step 2: Feeling confident that the they weren’t on their own, the John Lewis worker started a petition to bring back the bonus. Thousands of John Lewis and Waitrose staff and customers quickly signed the petition and shared it with colleagues so the numbers kept ticking up.

Step 3: John Lewis workers asked customers to back them - by messaging the CEO directly and promising not to shop at John Lewis or Waitrose until the company treated its workers better. 55% of customers said they would stop shopping. Together, we made sure this story couldn’t be ignored, sharing it with media outlets like the Financial Times and spreading it across social media.

Step 4: And now? Together, we’ve won.

John Lewis bosses have just announced they’ll reinstate the staff bonus. Let’s be honest – this didn’t happen by magic. It happened because nearly 20,000 of us took action. Because workers spoke up and customers backed them.

This win shows what happens when we turn frustration into action. When workers lead, and communities back them in. One question turned into a poll. The poll turned into a petition. The petition sparked a campaign. And the campaign changed the company’s direction. That’s worker power in action.

We’ll be keeping an eye on John Lewis to make sure they stick to their promise for 2026. But right now, take a second to clock what we’ve done together.

So, what next? If there’s something you want to change at work – speak up. It starts with one question, which you can ask anonymously. Start your first action here: https://organise.network/organiser

In solidarity,

Roxy and the Organise team