Taking Care of Your Workers Physical (& Mental) Health This Christmas
This holiday season is going to be very different to what we’ve experienced over the last two years. Throwing it back to last December and Victoria had only just gotten out of yet another major lockdown, which meant there was naturally a lot of trepidation around flocking to shopping centres and retail outlets for Christmas shopping.
This resulted in online shopping seeing yet another huge spike and retailers focusing on the fulfilment and shipping of orders instead of a customer facing experience. Here we are staring down the barrel of Christmas 2022 and there are a number of key things to bear in mind to ensure that your workforce doesn’t get burnt out or injured. Here’s just a few examples of ways you can take care of your workers mental and physical health during this busy period:
Training & Induction Refreshers
No matter if they’re brand spanking new or have been part of your team for some time, it’s always great to provide your workforce with training and induction refreshers so that everyone is armed with the right knowledge they need to work safely. This is especially important during the holiday season as being under the pump in store can lead to workers cutting corners or not necessarily executing tasks in a safe and optimal way.
The retail industry presents a number of unique hazards, both physical and mental. A proper induction for the retail industry should cover potential manual hazards, ladder safety, preventing slips/falls, avoiding fatigue and a lot more. Taking the time to cover these bases is the best way to future proof the safety of your workforce.
Regular Breaks Are Essential
We’ve all been there. You’re 6 hours into a shift and it’s simply been non-stop from the moment you arrived, so you haven’t had a break yet. For some workers, there can be a sense of guilt associated with taking breaks during busy periods as you don’t want to let the team down. It’s important for employers to make it clear that breaks are essential, no matter how busy the business is.
By implementing a break schedule and sticking to it, then you can avoid your workers getting fatigued or burnt out. It’s also important to make sure everyone understands the amount of breaks they’re entitled to for the length of time they’re working. For example, if someone is working 7 or more hours but less than 10 hours, they are entitled to two rest breaks and one meal break.
Make Sure Everyone Is Supported
Tensions get very high during the holiday season, whether we like to admit it or not. It’s common for workers and customers to feel really stretched for time and this can lead to heated altercations at times. It’s inevitable that workers are going to face the wrath of an unhappy customer, and it’s vital that said worker has support to assist them in these moments.
By making sure there is always a manager or supervisor rostered on and that no worker is left alone on the shop floor, it can be a lot easier to manage these tense times without it taking a toll on your employees' mental health.
The retail landscape has changed a lot over the last few years and businesses can’t go into this holiday season with a ‘business as usual’ mindset. However, by implementing a few key processes, employers can be on the front foot when it comes to the physical and mental health of their workforce.
WorkPro’s 'Retail Worker Safety’ eLearning module makes it easy for businesses to induct or refresh their staff on crucial health and safety issues for the retail industry today. With the click of a button, you can request, track progress and produce reports within one platform. You can also
download our 'Workplace Stress' eBook for free, which presents practical tips and tools to identify, manage and prevent workplace stress for both workers and employers.
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