Under the development of consumerism, retail is now a considerable part of every country’s economy. In the UK, the retail sector contributes to 5.2% of the country’s GDP, with an incredible rise in online sales since 1989.
Even if the numbers may not show it, we’ve all seen people working in retail everywhere around us, and without their service, customers couldn’t conduct their purchasing properly. Although some retail jobs have been freed from human interaction, and AI has been introduced instead to engage with clients, the truth is that not so many people are excited about it.
However, workers in retail might be happy about this change. Employment in this sector is one of the most stressful, and companies are not putting their employees ahead of profit, which has led to numerous protests, at least since the pandemic. Starbucks and H&M are only two of the most known companies that experienced worker strikes this year, requiring higher pay and genuine customer interest. But why does this situation escalate in spite of human and technological development?
Why is working in retail so dreadful?
Retail jobs are somehow easy to land as they don’t require experience or specific certifications for someone to get employed. You can simply show up wanting a job, and a company will hire you and provide training on the site. They are accessible but are considered temporary solutions until something better comes up.
Many students and people with great future plans get jobs in retail to make a living but are usually hit by the truth early on the job: a low salary, lack of future growth potential, and rude customers. Besides, work conditions are sometimes so detrimental they affect employees’ physical and mental health.
What’s worse is that such situations occur in some of the biggest companies that are worth billions and are still not investing in worker safety. Dollar General, for example, the US retail chain, received numerous fines this year for breaking safety rules after countless injured workers and customers talked about their experiences with this retail business.
Unfortunately, not all cases are taken into consideration by these companies, which is also what happens at Amazon, for example, another massive retailer. Employees can deal with accidents at work if they claim an injury and prove the employer’s fault with any evidence available.
Besides physical hazards, employees work in a toxic corporate culture
Getting a job in retail and quitting can be easy for some, but others have no other choice than to support themselves financially, and sometimes there’s no different option than to deal with such an environment. However, in some cases, people should look for some red flags in a retail company to land a job in a better place but in a more friendly company.
Here’s what workers must be aware of before saying yes to a position in retail:
- High employee turnover rates can be caused by overworking, poor compensation, unsuitable managers, and no work-life balance. Check this before applying to a business and research the company thoroughly;
- No time off or inflexible schedules can only mean that management is doing a bad job and is not able to create a program that allows workers to rest and have a life besides working in their business;
Even after getting employed, some aspects will show you if the organization isn’t suitable for people to work decently. For example, if there’s frequent gossiping and bullying, it means that the work group can be toxic and less cooperative. Moreover, signs of micromanaging reveal a lack of leadership efficiency, which also leads to unclear training and frequent misunderstandings between the people in the company.
What to look for in a retail job?
Retail jobs are already complex to handle and master, so making it more challenging by working in a deficient company will only worsen your mental and physical health condition. Therefore, before researching a retail job in your area, here’s what to consider essential for the business to have:
- Feedback and open communication are encouraged. Here, everyone is openly expressing their opinions in regard to improving a service or a product without experiencing backlash from co-workers and managers;
- Flexibility is included in the job to an extent, meaning that you can work from home on some days or swap shifts with staff when needed. Avoid jobs with unpredictable working hours because they’re not made for the long term;
- Development opportunities are included in the job because the business understands the importance of allowing their customers to develop their skills and abilities for the future, even if they won’t stay forever in their position;
Who’s always right: the customer or the employee?
Companies consistently enforce the idea that the customer is always right, and workers mustn’t prove the opposite to anger them because this decreases the chances for sales. Still, this practice has aged and isn’t efficient anymore because businesses who prioritize their clients know to improve their experience by adequately training workers.
Therefore, companies that put everything below the client and high above the worker shouldn’t be targeted by prospects anymore because they’re usually mistreating people in retail for the sake of profit. If employees engage with rude clients and are humiliated constantly without the manager to step in, it’s clear what the business wants at the end of the day.
And while it’s true that customers must be respected too, being a worker in retail doesn’t mean you’re less worthy of consideration and appreciation. Retail workers need to be praised more for their work because they put up with all kinds of clients and do their jobs despite poor conditions only to provide for them and be respectable members of society.
Final considerations
Retail jobs are considered the worst due to low wages and inadequate work conditions. However, retail is one of the most critical industries and greatly helps the economy evolve in a good direction. Therefore, retail workers need to be provided with better payments and less toxic environments.
