More than two in five UK retail employees (43%) were at risk of quitting their jobs between July and September this year - an 11% increase from the previous three months of 2024, according to information from the Retail Trust and AlixPartners
The index, which surveyed 1,100 UK retail employees in July, August and September, found the percentage of people working whilst physically or mentally unwell also increased to 41% over this time. This is a 14% year-on-year increase, and a 7% rise from the previous quarter of 2024.
Younger retail workers, aged 19 to 24, and LGBTQ+ employees had the biggest ‘flight risk’, or propensity to quit, the report said, of 47%, due to feeling more anxious and depressed about work and also least likely to feel they were recognised for doing something well.
Retail employees aged 19 to 34 showed the highest levels of presenteeism, where employees work when physically or mentally unwell, with half working while unwell.
And female workers experienced some of the biggest mental health declines over the period, with an overall wellbeing score drop from 72% in July to 52% in September for women aged 55 to 64. Those aged 25 to 34 also experienced lower wellbeing in July and September.
Staff were asked, by the Retail Trust’s online happiness assessment, about their mental and physical health and how valued and fulfilled they feel, to create an overall wellbeing score for the Retail People Index. Questions around pay, recognition, relationships with managers, work-related anxiety and workplace safety were among those used to separately help calculate the likelihood of them leaving their jobs or working while unwell between July and September 2024.
Chris Brook-Carter, chief executive of the Retail Trust, said: “There are often unrealistic expectations that the summer will be a less stressful time for people working in retail, but the reality is it often brings added pressures for working parents and those having to put in extra shifts to cover colleagues’ holidays.
“That’s why it’s important employers don’t underestimate the support their staff members need during the summer months, especially as they’ll need a happy and healthy workforce to rely on as they gear up for the busy shopping period at the end of the year.
“Investing in staff wellbeing and retention during this crucial period will allow retailers to be more productive and successful for the rest of the year, thanks to the fundamental link between the hope, health and happiness of a business’s workforce and its economic resilience.”
Separate research from the Retail Trust also found one in six miss work due to poor mental health and 39% are looking to quit due to abuse. The report found one in six (17%) retail workers have missed at least a day of work due to poor mental health this year. Nearly three quarters (71%) of all retail employees surveyed said mental health issues are also causing them to underperform at work.
No comments yet