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COVID-19 affected nearly every employee and company. While many have returned to some semblance of normal, employees in certain industries are still dealing with the aftershocks of the pandemic. Retail and hospitality workers, both front-line and behind the scenes, report worsening mental health even as the pandemic wanes.
One survey found that over 40% of retail workers say their mental health has declined over the past year, and one in four face high levels of anxiety on the job. The toll this takes on employees’ mental health has serious consequences—52% of hospitality workers who left their job over the past two years cited burnout as the main cause for their departure. Another 16% said they left because their well-being wasn’t prioritized by their company.
Retail and hospitality workers need more help than ever before, and HR leaders in the industry are recognizing the importance of supporting their employees’ well-being. 29% of retail and hospitality managers feel like they need more tools to support their team’s well-being, and 30% of retailers say that they plan to put a well-being strategy in place to better support their employees. But how can retail and hospitality companies design wellness benefits that actually make a difference for their people?
What are wellness benefits?
Wellness benefits are solutions that help employees live healthier lives both at work and at home. These wellness benefits exist outside of traditional health insurance, providing care and support that employees may not receive through their in-person provider. Examples of wellness benefits can include mental health support, extended family health benefits, stipends for gyms or workout programs, and more.
The positive impacts of wellness benefits can be seen both by employees and their employers. Wellness benefits like mental or family health support have been shown to improve health outcomes, reduce healthcare costs, and increase productivity and engagement at work. One study found that companies that invest in employee wellness programs see an average return on investment of $3.27 for every dollar spent, due to reduced healthcare costs, absenteeism, and turnover.
Building wellness benefits for a diverse workforce
When it comes to wellness benefits, retail and hospitality companies have to build programs that support a diverse range of employees, ranging from corporate to hourly workers. While employees with wellness needs exist at every level of an organization, certain marginalized groups are overrepresented among hourly workers and need additional care and support. Close to three-quarters of front-line hospitality employees are women, and 55% are Black or Latine. We see similar trends in the retail space: over half of all front-line retail workers are women, and one-third are Black or Latine. These groups, in particular, face barriers to wellness at work and at home:
- Women working in front-line retail and hospitality jobs are more likely to experience pregnancy discrimination and face barriers in accessing reproductive healthcare, compared to those in higher-paying corporate jobs.
- Front-line retail and hospitality workers are less likely to have access to affordable childcare, which can make it difficult to balance work and caregiving responsibilities.
- Retail and hospitality workers are less likely to have access to paid parental leave compared to other industries and are less likely to report that they understand the maternity benefits available to them.
While employees at all levels would benefit from additional support, meeting the needs of women and people of color should be a top priority when vetting wellness benefits.
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