Lego is giving all of its 18,000 staff an extra three days off and an additional bonus to thank them for an “extraordinary” year.

The announcement by the family-owned Danish toy giant comes after it earlier this year reported a 140% rise in first-half profits to 6.3bn kroner (£720m), as sales surged 46% to 23bn kroner (£2.6bn).

Lego benefited from a surge in demand for its bricks during the COVID-19 pandemic and more recently its policy of siting production close to key markets helped it remain resilient as supply chain issues hit the global economy.

In a statement, the company said: “2021 has been an extraordinary year for the Lego group and our colleagues have worked incredibly hard to bring Lego play to more families around the world.

“The owner family wishes to acknowledge this and thank all colleagues with an extra three days off at the end of 2021.

“An additional contribution to the company’s annual bonus programme will also be paid out in April 2022.

“All employees, including those who work in our retail stores, manufacturing sites and offices, are part of the annual incentive programme and will receive the extra payment.”

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In September, Lego said the growth in its sales to consumers in the first half of 2021 had outpaced the wider toy industry as the easing of restrictions saw factories operate uninterrupted and most of its retail stores reopened.

Popular products during the period included Lego Star Wars and the advanced Lego Creator Expert sets, which include flower bouquets and a model of Rome’s Colosseum.

Lego has more than 700 branded retail stores globally with a target to grow to more than 800 by the end of the year.

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