Boston, London, Stockholm - June 8th, 2021
Nearly 80% of the global workforce is made up of deskless workers. They are the healthcare workers, delivery drivers, cashiers, and service industry people we encounter everyday. They are more than essential employees, they are the lifeblood of our economy, the workers that keep society running. To ensure that this vital section of our workforce is engaged and productive, companies must understand exactly what these workers need. That's precisely why Quinyx developed their Annual State of the Deskless Workforce Report.
This year, Quinyx polled 10,140 workers in ten different countries (U.S, U.K, Canada, Australia, Germany, The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark), providing a snapshot on a global scale. Those polled included deskless workers from the hospitality, logistics, retail, healthcare and social care sector.
Five eye-opening stats:
- 51% of those polled said that they have previously gone into work while sick, because they couldn’t afford time off and didn't have the means to amend their schedules. This could have had dramatic consequences, particularly during a global pandemic
- 50% indicated that their work suffered from understaffing issues.
- 83% said this led to a more stressful work environment, 39% that it resulted in poor customer service and 47% that it led to longer wait time for customers.
- 21% said they did not feel appreciated at work.
- 57% needed to prioritize work over health and personal care time.
- 35% indicate they’d rather have a flexible schedule than higher pay
Employee well-being: To stay relevant to their deskless workers, employers should develop strategies to improve and engage this section of their workforce. Employees polled clearly indicated that they felt they didn't have time for health and recovery. Over half indicated that they had to work while sick because they couldn't afford to take time off. Of those polled, only 23% indicated that they had paid sick time. For those who work hourly, it's a clear financial strain to take the needed time off to address personal health issues.
Employee anxiety: Health is not the only scheduling stressors for the deskless workforce. 37% of those polled told us they felt pressure to take shifts that they didn't want and 29% thought that asking for a scheduling change would be viewed negatively by their management. These were factors leading to a poor work-life balance and higher burnout rate.
Staffing and retention: About half of those polled said that they noticed understaffing. Of those who identified this, 83% said that it made work more stressful and 39% indicated that it lowered customer service performance. The report also highlighted some bleak statistics that can impact employee retention. Of those polled, 21% said that they do not feel appreciated at work. Employee satisfaction is a key indicator of retention. Statistics in the report indicate that 54% of the deskless workforce would consider leaving a job because there was a negative work environment.
Flexibility vs. higher salary: A third of employees polled would prefer more flexibility over a higher paycheck. For employers, the research clearly shows that attracting and retaining deskless workers can be achieved without spending more on pay. Instead by helping them regain a healthy work-life balance by providing employees the tools and processes needed.
In the current economy, companies are having trouble finding employees to fill their positions. It's more important than ever to understand and improve areas where your company falls short of meeting deskless workers' needs. The full report is currently available for download.
About Quinyx:
Quinyx is a leading AI-powered workforce management software that makes the complex tasks of scheduling, time reporting, communicating, budgeting, and forecasting deskless workers simple. Quinyx helps companies around the world reduce labor costs, remain compliant, and improve workforce efficiency - all the while boosting their bottom line, employee satisfaction, and retention. Quinyx provides solutions that save time and money to some of the world’s biggest companies like McDonald’s, Sysco, Hilton, Virgin Atlantic, DHL, Maersk.
North American Media Enquiries
Laurie Pace
(+1) 85 72 96 74 33
laurie.pace@quinyx.com
Nordic Media Enquiries
Fredrik Selander
(+46) 706 65 64 45
fredrik.selander@quinyx.com
Western Europe Media Enquiries
Aurelie Honeysett
(+44) 738 741 62 66
aurelie.honeysett@quinyx.com
