// 42.2% of retail professionals feel their mental health is worse than it was a year ago due to Covid-19
// CV-Library says 51.9% worried about not being able to find a job, while 48.1% experienced financial difficulties
Around four in 10 retail professionals feel their mental health is worse than it was a year ago due to the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a new study released ahead of World Mental Health Day.
Research from CV-Library, which surveyed 1300 individuals, found that 42.2 per cent of retail professionals has experienced varying levels of stress around job security and income escalated as a result of the pandemic.
Of the retail workers surveyed, just over half (51.9 per cent) worried about not being able to find a job, while almost half (48.1 per cent) experienced financial difficulties.
READ MORE: How employers can attract retail staff amid ongoing job cuts
Meanwhile, more than one-fifth (22.2 per cent) of retail professionals worried about losing their current job.
Other worries included 29.6 per cent feeling concerned about the wellbeing of friends of family members, and 18.5 per cent stressed about not being able to leave home during lockdown.
“The last seven months has been filled with a great amount of uncertainty and it’s understandable that so many retail professionals feel their mental health is suffering,” CV-Library chief executive Lee Biggins said.
“Businesses need to be aware of these challenges and ensure they’re offering support to employees who may be struggling.
“What’s more, it’s no surprise that worrying about not being able to find a job is one of the biggest concerns for those in the retail sector, as many individuals have been made redundant and employment opportunities have been scarce.
“While the UK job market may take some time to fully recover, it’s important to remember that the situation is already improving.
“In fact, as time goes on, we’re seeing more job postings being added to our site every week.”
The study also revealed that 34.4 per cent of retail employees felt their work-life balance was worse than a year ago, with a further 61.5 per cent stating working from home as the main reason for this.
In addition to this, 87.1 per cent of the individuals surveyed admitted that they would look for a new job in order to secure a better work-life balance.
This is on the back of 68.2 per cent of retail professionals feeling concerned about their physical and mental well-being due to a poor work-life balance.
“The government has once again recommended that professionals should work from home where possible,” Biggins said.
“While this may be good news for some, those who struggle to find a healthy work-life balance will be dreading the next few months.
“As an employer, you have a duty of care to keep your employees safe and to protect their mental health.
“It’s vital that you encourage team members to take regular breaks and to only work during their normal hours.
“You should also consider sharing resources and tips that can make working from home easier. This should enable your employees to safeguard their mental health, and hopefully prevent staff from looking for opportunities elsewhere.”
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