Are employers forgetting the frontline ‘deskless’ workers ?

Are employers forgetting the frontline ‘deskless’ workers?

A study among 9,000 frontline workers — healthcare staff, couriers, retail staff and chefs etc — has highlighted how 64% felt they couldn’t speak to their manager about workplace stress (let alone stresses caused by situations outside of work).

The 2022 State of the Deskless Worker report carried out by Quinyx looks at levels of engagement among ‘deskless’ staff, and how motivation and satisfaction can be increased.

The study found that 29% of frontline staff in the UK believed that improved communication with management and employees would increase their motivation — but around half felt they weren’t being listened to.

Desk-free contact

The report findings are a reminder of the particular challenges that continue to surround communications and engagement with frontline staff who aren’t part of the same kinds of office and desk-based routines — access to email, one-to-one meetings, and reminders of support services.

Frontline workers are those who have taken on the greatest pressures and risks during the Covid-19 crisis, as well as greater potential for reduced hours or redundancies in some sectors). At the same time they can feel they aren’t given the same kinds of attention and benefits as desk-based colleagues — as if retention and loyalty (and stress levels) isn’t as important an issue.

EAPs for all

EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell said: “Many of the sectors struggling most with recruiting and retaining their staff are those relying on deskless, frontline workers — like airlines, like hospitality. And this can have serious business implications, as the travel industry is finding out.

“Building relationships between staff and line managers in HQ is harder in these situations, without being in a single location and linked together by desk communications. But there may also be lingering cultural issues here: where the benefits and perks are targeted more to higher paid, office-based professionals. Maybe, even, where ‘stress’ is only something that the senior executives have to cope with.

“Organisations should be one team. People have different roles but all should have a shared sense of purpose and be recognised for what they do. Everyone, to one degree or another, is relying on the work of others around them. The EAP is the kind of service that is open and accessible to everyone, anytime, and makes sure that everyone is listened to — whether that’s stress at work or at home.”

Are employers forgetting the frontline ‘deskless’ workers? – EAPA UK