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22 Mar 2024

Rob Brown, co-director of Dalby Forest Cycle Hub, a not-for-profit hire scheme has been nominated for the Tourism Superstar 2024 award, run by VisitEngland.

21 Mar 2024

ACS (The Association of Convenience Stores) and the Federation of Independent Retailers (The Fed) have both welcomed a new report published by the Association of Police and Crime...

21 Mar 2024

As reported by Healthstores UK, new data contained in the 2024 Soil Association Organic Market report shows that independent retailers delivered an impressive 10% growth in 2023, with...

21 Mar 2024

An independent bottle shop and bar in Cheltenham has been named as the UK's Independent Beer and Wine Retailer of the Year 2024 at the Drinks Retailing Awards. 

21 Mar 2024

A number of organisations, including Bira (the British Independent Retailers’ Association), other trade associations, BIDs and unions have met with officials from the Welsh Government to...

21 Mar 2024

The British Independent Retailers’ Association (Bira) has reacted to data released by PwC and the Local Data Company exploring the state of the UK retail landscape.

8 Mar 2024

Daniel Blackham, editor of industry magazine BikeBiz, has been writing about his experience of completing the Cytech technical one qualification at training provider Spokes People in Milton...

6 Mar 2024

Cytech partner Activate Cycle Academy, the largest and most recognised training provider of bike maintenance and technical training courses to the UK’s cycle industry, recently welcomed a...

6 Mar 2024

The Greeting Card Association has reacted to a BBC Panorama programme lifting the lid on Royal Mail management prioritising parcel delivery over letters, which it says are in contradiction of...

4 Mar 2024

Pop star Kate Bush has been announced as an ambassador for this year's Record Store Day, on 20 April.

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Mental health in independent retail

Posted on in Business News , Cycles News

Coronavirus is clearly having a huge impact on retail workers, but one of the impacts that is often overlooked is its effect on the mental wellbeing of those working in our stores.

Since the beginning of the crisis, many independent retailers and their staff have been working long hours and unfamiliar shift patterns, while others are now adjusting to returning to work after a long period of time off.

Talking Retail recently published an interview with Nisa retailer and Samaritan volunteer Harj Dhasee who explained that "We all do our best, but we don't always talk on an emotional level. I've been volunteering with the Samaritans for about a year and a half, so I know how important it is to talk. In normal times, everyone has different ways of coping, whether that's playing sport or going to the pub with your mates. But with the lockdown, all of that disappeared. There's a lot of pressure on our staff and they haven't had their normal support structures around them. There's been a lot of anxiety, uncertainty and frustration."

The article urged employers to consider reaching out to their employees and encourage them to talk about any problems they may be experiencing. Employees will often not feel confident in speaking up, so a manager making the first move to open a dialogue can be key. Regular catch-ups or supervisions are an opportunity to start the conversation. Questions should be simple, open and non-judgemental to give the employee ample opportunity to explain the situation in their own words, examples of which could be:

  • How are you doing at the moment?
  • You seem to be a bit down/upset/under pressure.
  • Is everything OK?
  • Is there anything I can do to help?
  • What support do you think might be useful?
Rehab 4 Addiction have created an informational guide with the aim of it being one of many stepping stones for those struggling and their loved ones to better understand their situation and lead them to find a safe and supportive environment, especially during the pandemic.
 
The following companies can also be contacted for additional support for those struggling:
 
Mental health for small workplaces: A collection of resources for small and medium-sized businesses is available online, including practical tools, e-learning and a mobile app.
Website: https://tinyurl.com/yazzqpt2

The Samaritans: A well-known organisation has a free helpline available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, offering immediate help for anyone who is struggling. It recently launched a self-help app to suggest practical support and enable people to track their moods. It also offers workplace-specific support.
Telephone: 116 123
Email: jo@samaritans.org
Website: samaritans.org


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