5-point plan to address psychosocial risks in retail
The Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA) has launched a new campaign and 5-Point Plan in response to what it describes as a psychological safety crisis in the retail sector.
New research, Under Pressure: The Hidden Cost of Retail, surveyed more than 11,000 retail workers across nine sectors and found:
- “77% of workers are at high risk of harm from psychosocial hazards.
- “72% report burnout – twice the rate across other industries.
- “58% report very low well-being.
- “49% intend to resign.
- “Only 6% would recommend their workplace to others.”
Inadequate staffing was the number one hazard across the sector, followed by customer aggression, work overload, low job control and poor change management.
Psychosocial risks in retail
SDA National Secretary Gerard Dwyer says the research should be a call to action for government, employers and regulators.
“Retail is Australia’s second largest employing industry and the first job for many young people,” he says.
“Yet our research shows it is an industry under pressure with workers facing significant psychosocial risks.
“Understaffed, facing unsustainable workloads and rising customer aggression amidst a wave of technology-driven workplace changes, is driving stress, fatigue and burnout on a scale that is both unacceptable, unsustainable and unsafe.
“Psychosocial risks are work health and safety risks and need to be addressed.
“This isn’t just bad for workers, it’s bad for business.
“Unsafe, unsustainable workplaces mean higher turnover, higher absenteeism and lower productivity.
“We need urgent, industry-wide action.”
How to tackle the risks
To tackle these risks, the SDA’s 5-Point Plan, which the SDA says was developed in collaboration with evidence-based research and extensive consultation with frontline workers, calls for:
- Safe staffing levels. Enough workers with the right skills to do the job safely, with adequate hours and coverage at peak times or when staff are absent.
- Sustainable workloads. Realistic task expectations, with technology used to support workers, not intensify their workload.
- Support for frontline workers. Proper training, clear role expectations, effective supervision and proactive responses to customer abuse.
- Consultation on workplace change. Genuine engagement with workers and their union before changes are made, backed by thorough risk assessments.
- Collaborative work design. Involving workers in the design of new technologies, processes and layouts to ensure changes improve jobs rather than undermine them.
Mr Dwyer says the SDA’s plan aligns with the Safe Work Australia Code of Practice for managing psychosocial hazards and provides a practical framework for creating safer, more productive workplaces.
‘Better retail starts with safe staffing levels and sustainable workloads’
“We’re calling on government and business to work together with our Union to implement these changes,” he says.
“Better retail workplaces start with safe staffing levels and sustainable workloads.
“Listening to and supporting frontline workers reduces psychosocial risks and benefits everyone – workers, businesses and customers alike.”
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