Before the COVID-19 health crisis, three in four (74%) deskless workers chose to go into work while they were sick, and challenges such as a lack of flexibility and sick time are likely to blame, with less than one in five (13%) workers saying they have paid sick leave. On top of that, nearly half (47%) of deskless workers also worried that switching shifts could get them fired.
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“Deskless workers have always supported the backbone of the U.S. economy, but they can frequently be the ‘forgotten workforce,’ forced to manage with the little support they are provided by employers”
That’s according to the 2020 State of the Deskless Workforce released today by Quinyx, a leading provider of workforce management solutions. In March, before many Americans experienced unprecedented levels of unemployment, Quinyx polled 1,200 U.S. adults who identify as deskless workers to understand how scheduling, sick time, wages and communication impact their health and happiness.
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Results showed workers were unable to achieve work life balance, with two in three (66 percent) giving up sleep, hobbies, and normal eating habits due to inflexible schedules. Workers say they were also regularly forced to choose between their personal lives and their jobs, with the majority missing social events or holidays (70 percent) or major milestones such as funerals or weddings (49 percent) due to inflexible schedules. Younger generations were more likely to feel tied to their job, with Gen Zers most likely to sacrifice social events (74 percent) and Millennials most likely to miss major milestones (52 percent) due to their work schedule.
Outside of schedules, workers struggled to maintain good communication with their employer. The majority of deskless workers (85 percent) reported their employer takes an ‘always-on’ approach to communication, regularly contacting them when they are off hours. Added to this, deskless workers feel uncomfortable coming to their employer or manager with questions about scheduling issues affecting their personal lives (25 percent), how working conditions impact their physical or mental health (35 percent), pay raise or wage disparities (33 percent), or a loss or increase in work hours (25 percent).
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