Spoiler alert: Yes they bloody should!
But, before I explain why, let’s take a look at what retail workers are getting paid right now.
What’s the average hourly rate for retail workers?
According to Payscale.com, the average hourly rate for retail workers is:
UK: £8.78 (UK minimum wage is currently £8.72)
US: $12.20 (US minimum wage is currently $7.25)
How much do retail workers make per year?
The average full-time retail worker in the UK is making about £17,179 gross per year with a monthly take-home of £1,276.
In the US it’s about $25,376 gross per year with a $1,841 take home.
Is that enough to live on?
It’s a good question.
In the UK, we have The Living Wage, which is described as:
“The minimum income necessary for a worker to meet his or her basic needs”
Currently, the UK living wage is £9.30 an hour.
So why should retail workers get paid more money?
I’m glad you asked! Let’s get to it!
1. The risk of catching COVID-19
According to a study, retail workers that serve customers are five times more likely to test positive for Covid-19 than their colleagues who don’t interact with the public.
Overall, the study found that:
“There were higher rates of the virus among retail workers than in the general population”
As a grocery or food retail worker, there are so many potential sources of exposure to COVID-19. This includes coming into close contact with customers and handling items, cash, or merchandise that customers with COVID-19 have touched.
Remember, retail workers are facing these risks every day to ensure that the shelves are stocked!
2. Many retail workers depend on overtime
Many retail workers depend on overtime to make it through the month.
Check out this recent poll in our Retail Worker Confessions Facebook group where we asked members how much overtime they worked each month:
Notice how many people are working 30+ extra hours each month. That’s the equivalent to working three extra months per year!
Working that many extra hours is not sustainable and could eventually have a physical and emotional toll.
Worst of all, overtime is never guaranteed.
So let’s not even get started on staff who are hired on zero-hour contracts, with the “promise” of overtime to bump up their hours.
3. Risk of injury because you have to rush the job
Retail workers spend the majority of their shifts bending, stooping, squatting and lifting. All of these repetitive motions put them at risk of getting injured.
Of course, retail workers are supposed to be trained to perform these tasks safely and those safe practices are supposed to be enforced by management.
In my experience though, this training involves watching a health and safety video from the 1980s and signing a form to say that you understood it.
Afterwards, you’ll get some “on the job training” which is best summarised as
“This is how we're supposed to do it, but we do it this way instead”.
Why? Because it’s faster and retail management expect the job to be done as quickly as possible to keep up with deadlines.
Then, when you inevitably get injured, you’re pressured to return to work as soon as possible. I mean, who cares if you just lost your leg, you can still sit on your arse and scan groceries…
4. Threats, abuse and violence from customers
Life on the frontline of retail can be pretty tough for many retail workers. Don’t believe me? Try telling a sweet old lady that the special offer on her favourite product just ended. She won’t stay sweet for very long.
The abuse and physical violence faced by some staff members can have a significant impact on their physical and mental health.
The worst part is that many people in retail don’t speak up about it, either because they accept it as “an unfortunate part of their job” or because they don’t have confidence in the response they will get from management.
I witnessed this once when a friend was abused for asking for ID during an alcohol purchase. Afterwards, management accused her of “aggravating the situation” and insisted on re-training her.
5. Customers expect way too much
Customers have a strange perception of retail workers. One minute you’re a shelf monkey that gets in their way. Next, you’re expected to have infinite product knowledge about every item in the store.
I’d be delighted to help you with that obscure question about pet food sir! In fact, the reason I’m working down the pet food aisle is because I recently graduated from Who’s a Good Boy University.
This expert education will allow me to correctly identify the brand of biscuits your dog usually eats based on the handful of stale biscuit husks that you just placed into my hand.
Don’t even get me started on the customers who ask for “that yoghurt that you’re selling on TV”.
Because, as a 16-year-old part-time produce worker in a national supermarket chain, you’re likely to have been fully briefed on every item the company advertises on TV.
