Retail | The State of the Deskless Workforce | UK

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly altered the UK’s retail sector; accelerating e-commerce while footfall into bricks and mortar stores fell to an all-time low. Deskless retail workers have borne the brunt of this seismic change – with many needing to quickly adapt to new innovations, unprecedented peaks and flows in trading, and regular shifts in safety, legislative, and customer demands. This report shines a spotlight on how these essential retail frontline workers are faring.

This is what we found:

• 63% have considered quitting because they are unhappy in their work environment

• Over half (51%) said they’ve noticed understaffing due to unpredicted demand or staff sickness

• More than half (57%) of respondents don’t feel comfortable speaking to their employer about working conditions and the impact on their physical or mental health.

As part of our annual international research, The State of the Deskless Workforce, charting the experiences of over 10,000 deskless workers across ten countries, we surveyed 1,500 deskless workers in the UK. In this report, we put the attitudes of retail workers under the microscope.