Half of retail workers could quit this winter

by Personnel Today

Half of retail employees in the UK are at risk of leaving their jobs this winter, according to research from the Retail Trust and consulting firm AlixPartners.

Their Retail People Index found that 51% of retail staff could be considered a flight risk in the coming months, while 44% would be likely to work while feeling unwell.

There has also been a 7% drop in overall wellbeing across the retail workforce between the start of autumn 2023 and the end of last winter, suggesting the busy Christmas period took its toll on workers’ mental health.

As a consequence, calls to the Retail Trust’s helpline rose by more than a third (36%) in January this year.

The research showed that retail workers are less likely to want to leave their jobs during the summer months – 27% of all retail employees were at risk of working while unwell and 40% were at risk of quitting in summer 2023.

Younger employees were more likely to suffer from mental health issues, it found. More than half (52%) of workers between the ages of 19 and 24 were at risk of coming to work while sick between April and June this year, compared to a third of workers overall.

A survey by the British Retail Consortium earlier this year showed a challenging environment for shop workers, with violence and abuse against retail staff up by 50% last year. The Government has pledged to make assaults against retail workers a standalone criminal offence.

Chris Brook-Carter, chief executive of the Retail Trust, said: “Retailers need to put in place the right wellbeing support in the run-up to this winter when the mental health pressures on retail staff could again be at their highest.

“This is particularly important for younger workers who tell us they feel less happy and safe at work and lack the tools to manage their stress and anxiety themselves.

“Retail has a fantastic track record of moving people from the shop floor to the boardroom so we are concerned the industry’s reputation as a great place for young people to begin or build a career could be under threat unless they are given more support.

“There is a fundamental link between the hope, health and happiness of a business’s workforce and its economic resilience.”

Laura Bond, director at AlixPartners, added that it was “an uncomfortable time to be a retailer”.

“Persistently high levels of disruption – such as rising input costs and broader geopolitical uncertainty – affect not only business performance but also the confidence of the people that work within them,” she said.

“At times like this, it is people and culture that can act as your shock absorber to these external forces, and this can have a material long-term impact on a company’s ability to be successful.

“So much effort goes into attracting and developing retail talent, but retention is perhaps the softer side that businesses do not always do so well. However, building a strong culture is the secret sauce to an engaged workforce that will perpetuate a sense of belonging and purpose, driving business performance in the process.”