A recent report highlights the impact of mental health on staff attendance and performance in retail.
- A third of retail call centre workers report absenteeism due to mental health issues.
- Among younger retail staff, 29% have taken time off due to similar concerns.
- Retail managers observe a significant rise in mental health-related absences over the past year.
- Employers are urged to enhance support and promote positive work environments to address these challenges.
The latest findings from the Retail Trust indicate a pressing issue within the retail sector, with poor mental health being a significant factor contributing to staff absenteeism and underperformance. According to the report, approximately 31% of call centre employees are unable to attend work due to mental health challenges. Furthermore, 29% of younger staff, defined as individuals born between 1997 and 2012, have also reported missing work for the same reasons, underscoring the need for immediate attention to this issue.
An examination of over 1,300 retail workers reveals that 17% of general shop employees have experienced enough mental distress to warrant taking at least one day off within the last year. Alarmingly, those operating in call centres and younger demographics are particularly vulnerable, being twice as likely to resort to sick leave compared to their older or different-role counterparts.
The report exposes that nearly half of retail managers, precisely 49%, have acknowledged an uptick in absences linked to mental health problems in the preceding twelve months. This trend highlights the growing concern among management about mental well-being within their teams, which is perceived to have impactful consequences on business operations.
The head of human resources at a leading outdoors retailer emphasised the cascading impact of absenteeism, stating, “Long-term health issues and sickness as a result of [poor] mental health is definitely something we’ve seen more of in the last year. The thing about absenteeism is that it has a knock-on effect to other colleagues and really hits the bottom line.” Similarly, an HR director from a home and fashion retailer stressed the importance of support by saying, “Dealing with absenteeism, and particularly sickness absenteeism, is a priority for us. We want to help people to be at work, so we are focused on what we can do to support that.”
Chris Brook-Carter, Retail Trust’s chief executive, expressed the substantial implications these findings have for the UK’s workforce, especially noting the retail sector’s role as the largest private employer. Brook-Carter commented, “While retail employers may not be responsible for causing their staff’s mental health issues, they are paying the price in absenteeism and underperformance. They must continue to invest in training, create more positive work cultures, and implement preventative measures to mitigate the mental health challenges their workers face.”
The report underscores the critical need for enhanced mental health support and workplace cultural improvements to address absenteeism challenges.
