As society slowly begins to unlock, employers are more aware than ever before about the health and wellbeing of their employees.
But what is it that employees want? What are their challenges? And what can be done to help them lead more fulfilling work lives?
To help answer these questions, we surveyed 1,500 people in the UK working in non-office based roles to find out what their challenges are at work, what they expect from employers and how they want their work lives to change.
Data from our annual report - The State of the Deskless Workforce 2021 - paints a fascinating picture of what life is like for hourly and shift workers in the UK.
This group includes healthcare workers, delivery drivers, cleaners, supermarket staff… the list goes on.
As the last year has shown, this group is the glue that keeps society together. While office workers have been able to work remotely during the pandemic, this group of the workforce weren’t afforded the same luxury.
The data from the report provides insights and advice on what’s needed to revolutionise employee wellbeing, which can be of use for all forward-thinking employers and HR leaders.
Here are the key findings:
1. 55% go to work when they’re sick because they can’t afford to take time off
This is an alarming figure, especially as the pandemic continues to cause havoc across the UK. Many go to work sick because they don’t receive sick pay.
In a post-pandemic world, a ‘culture of caring’, where you prioritise employee welfare will transform both employee wellbeing and engagement.
As an employer, this means making sure your employees feel like they have a voice, listening to their needs and acting upon them. There are countless tech tools that can help you do this. Not only will this mean happier and healthier employees, but it will also improve staff retention, improve customer satisfaction and make your business more profitable.
2. Employee welfare is on the ropes
58% of employees in the UK have considered quitting their job due to being unhappy at work. A third also say they don’t feel valued by their manager.
What’s more, 54% lost out on personal time, 53% didn’t attend social events and holiday celebrations and 30% missed major milestones – such as weddings, births and funerals – due to scheduled work or requests from their employer.
When it comes to taking time off, 40% admitted to feeling pressured by co-workers into taking a shift they did not want, and a third felt asking to change a shift for personal reasons would be perceived negatively by their boss. 31% also say they’d rather have a flexible schedule than a pay rise.
Bad scheduling practices are not only bad for your employees, they’re bad for business. They cost you more, they suck up a huge amount of admin time and, ultimately, your customers suffer from them as well. If you can find a solution that gives your employees more control, choice and flexibility then everyone's a winner.
3. 52% have noticed understaffing issues
Understaffing is a big problem. Cutting staff hours might save costs but it has a negative impact on employee wellbeing - with 83% saying staff shortages make work more stressful - and it often means your customers have a poor experience.
To successfully navigate a post-pandemic world, the UK needs a motivated and productive deskless workforce.
If you’re curious to read all the insights, download the full State of the Deskless Workforce report.
