Half (50%) of UK deskless workers live pay cheque to pay cheque and are without spare cash once monthly bills are paid, according to research by OC Tanner.
The employee recognition firm’s 2024 Global culture report gathered insights from more than 42,000 employees, leaders, HR practitioners and executives from 27 countries, including 4,818 from the UK, of which 1,734 are deskless. Deskless workers comprise 80% of the global workforce and include offline, frontline and other critical employees who traditionally work away from a desk.
Almost a third (29%) of UK deskless workers said they have borrowed money from family and friends to pay bills, resulting in an employee experience overshadowed by financial stresses.
Financial pressures, a lack of support from employers and not being valued have resulted in an 83% increased likelihood of them burning out, being disengaged with their job and feeling disconnected from their organisation.
When deskless workers feel seen and valued by their organisation, their engagement levels increase by 674%, great work rises by 592% and their sense of job fulfilment increases by 448%.
Stuart Cheesman, European strategist of workplace culture expert at OC Tanner, said: “Deskless workers who are living with financial instability will naturally find it harder to engage with their organisation. While increasing their take-home pay is an obvious solution to improving engagement levels, this must be coupled with greater support from employers so workers can better manage their lives both inside and outside the workplace.
“It’s crucial that all employees, whether they are based in front of a desk, on a factory line or in a customer-facing role, are recognised and valued for the job they do and are also given a voice in how they perform their role. The simple acts of getting to know them as individuals, proactively listening to them and showing appreciation for their contributions, can make a huge difference, including higher levels of employee engagement, a reduced risk of burnout and, ultimately, improved business performance.”