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More than half of casual workers feel disengaged at work

Australian retailers could be doing more to keep casual staff engaged at work, according to a recent report by HR management solutions company, Humanforce, which found that only 42 per cent of Australians feel they are truly engaged in their work.

Seventy five per cent of respondents said they are lured to casual work because of the flexibility of days and 43 per cent said they were tempted by more family friendly hours.

“We know that engaged employees take significantly less days off and are much more productive as it’s been proven time and time again,” Humanforce founder and MD, Bruce Mackenzie.

“While many retailers have recognised this by putting strategies in place for their permanent employees, many are overlooking the importance of
engagement when it comes to their casual employees, which is not sustainable considering Australia has one of the highest numbers of casual workers in the world.”

The OECD Employment Outlook 2019 showed that 25 per cent of workers in Australia are casual without regular and stable hours.

Humanforce says retailers can do a lot to build staff loyalty and reduce turnover, especially those with small talent pools. The company suggests giving a real time view of all staff to measure their engagement and give them rewards; open communication lines for feedback; fun events and training opportunities for better retention.

Casual work usually has a higher turnover and survey shows that many (40 per cent) move to more permanent and stable work.

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