More workers are asking retailers for mental health support – how should the industry respond?

With the Retail Trust’s latest research into the wellbeing of the retail workforce finding that eight in 10 people are experiencing deteriorating mental health, we were unsurprisingly keen to understand what the industry is – and should be – doing to help. Especially as this year’s health of retail report also found:

• Just a quarter of retail workers are getting the support they need to manage their mental health problems, whether it be from medical professionals, friends or family
• A third say they still need more support
• 23% haven’t been able to access help of any kind

But, at the same time, we discovered a positive groundswell in mental health openness within retail workplaces across the UK, with more colleagues than ever now prepared to turn to employers for support.

So, what does this support look like and how are businesses responding?

“We discovered a positive groundswell in mental health openness within retail workplaces across the UK, with more colleagues than ever now prepared to turn to employers for support”

Positively, the HR leaders we’re speaking to tell us wellbeing is rising to the top of boardroom agendas, despite the myriad other challenges facing retail businesses right now. And we do see this reflected in the dedication and hard work of the organisations the Retail Trust works with, who have been tireless in their efforts to improve workplace cultures in the past few years.

They increasingly understand the right approach to wellbeing involves creating a culture where people feel comfortable discussing their mental health at work and have access to support when needed. That so many staff now feel able to open up shows this is paying off, with a growing sense of trust building between these employers and their employees.

More training is needed

However, with this trust comes increasing responsibility and businesses also need to understand the pressures involved in managing the mental health of staff and handling increasingly difficult conversations.

Good managers are clearly crucial to fostering a sense of wellbeing, but most of the retail managers we spoke to say they still need more training to support their teams, from plans outlining the right processes to follow to being trained in mental health first aid.

One retail leader we interviewed said she had supported more suicidal staff in the past 12 months than in her entire career, and nearly half of the managers we surveyed had at least one team member experience an equally severe mental health issue they felt ill-equipped to deal with. Another two thirds say they often feel burdened by their teams’ problems.

Crucially, managers should be shown not only how to identify when a team member is struggling, but also when they should act and when it’s right to step back and signpost people to professional help or support services such as those provided by the Retail Trust.

In addition to equipping them with the skills required to support their teams, retailers must also ensure managers get the help they need to look after their own mental health.

New ways of listening and supporting

Meanwhile, an increase in training, courses and wellness initiatives will give employees some of the building blocks to support their own wellbeing, with the insights and tools to better understand how they can improve their own wellbeing and make positive changes before they reach crisis point.

And, as staff become more likely to open up about their wellbeing at work, we need to find new ways to maintain healthy conversations, whether it be via data-driven engagement tools such as the Retail Trust’s new ‘better you’ happiness assessment or ally groups and wellbeing forums.

“As staff become more likely to open up about their wellbeing at work, we need to find new ways to maintain healthy conversations”

Most importantly, we also need to act on the feedback we receive from staff to help ensure the right support is directed to where it is most needed.

Overall, it’s clear that retail workplaces are having to evolve quickly due to a range of social, cultural and technological changes, and it’s brilliant to see so many retailers taking the steps they need to incorporate a more people-centred approach.

Those who continue to provide enough space for these conversations will be more likely to be able to evolve at pace and in doing so enable their employees to do the same.

Download the Retail Trust’s health of retail report here.