Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Join
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Join
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

ErgonomicsRetailHospitality

Long hours standing up causing foot pain among retail and hospitality staff

by Ashleigh Webber 29 Sep 2021
by Ashleigh Webber 29 Sep 2021 Shutterstock
Shutterstock

A fifth of hospitality and retail workers are reconsidering their future in their role as they say the length of time they spend on their feet is causing physical pain.

According to a survey, 79% of hospitality and retail staff spend four to 10 hours on their feet, with 34% spending eight to 10 hours standing.

This caused 45% to suffer foot pain before the pandemic, falling to 30% post-lockdown as workers welcomed the time off work to recover. However, just a few months since the hospitality and retail sectors reopened, 52% said they now experienced foot pain.

A quarter had taken time off work because of the physical impact of spending long hours on their feet, which 37% said had a negative impact on their mental wellbeing.

Kate Nicholls, CEO of trade association UK Hospitality, said the industry was looking at ways to improve working conditions and hours, particularly as staff have become more demanding about what they want to do following a period of furlough.

“It’s about making sure that we look after our people because they are our most valued and valuable resource and we need to make sure that they can be as comfortable as possible at work,” she said.

The survey of 500 workers, commissioned by 3D printing company Materialise, also found that a third turned to painkillers to immediately ease discomfort, while 35% did not know how to alleviate the pain they suffered

Footwear had a significant impact on the likelihood and location of pain. Thirty-one percent of those wearing sandals and flip flops experienced back pain; while high heel wearers experienced the most ankle and neck pain (31% and 22% respectively).

Thirty-four per cent wore trainers to work, yet 47% of trainer wearers experienced foot pain.

George Cummins, director of gait and motion technology at Materialise, said: “Feet take the brunt force of our day-to-day activity and support our entire body. Often the pain we experience elsewhere in our body; from knee, hip, back and neck pain, stems from insufficient control of our feet.

“Many people are unaware that supporting their feet correctly could solve a whole host of issues they have and allow them to move pain free. Over half of hospitality and retail workers already experience foot pain after just a few months back at work and they would benefit from a solution which offers more comfort and bespoke support for their feet, day in and day out to minimise the risk of long-term health issues.”

Ashleigh Webber
Ashleigh Webber

Ashleigh is editor at OHW+ and HR and wellbeing editor at Personnel Today. Ashleigh's areas of interest include employee health and wellbeing, equality and inclusion and skills development. She has hosted many webinars for Personnel Today, on topics including employee retention, financial wellbeing and menopause support. Prior to joining Personnel Today in 2018, she covered the road transport sector for Commercial Motor and Motor Transport magazines, touching on some of the employment and wellbeing issues experienced by those in road haulage.

previous post
NHS Highland faces £3m in bullying settlements
next post
Labour members vote for £15 minimum wage

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

You may also like

Trust seeks better language and employability support for...

13 Jun 2022

McColl’s administration puts 16,000 jobs at risk

6 May 2022

Youth collective to inform Body Shop strategy

6 May 2022

New law protects emergency and retail workers from...

4 May 2022

Foodservice group to create 32,000 new jobs

22 Apr 2022

Sainsbury’s increases wages for second time in four...

8 Apr 2022

Hiring activity in March 2022 began to stabilise

8 Apr 2022

H&M signs pledge to protect female workers in...

1 Apr 2022

Sainsbury’s discriminated against worker with brain injury, finds...

24 Mar 2022

B&Q and Screwfix pay to rise from April

22 Mar 2022
  • NSPCC revamps its learning strategy with child wellbeing at its heart PROMOTED | The NSPCC’s mission is to prevent abuse and neglect...Read more
  • Diversity versus inclusion: Why the difference matters PROMOTED | It’s possible for an environment to be diverse, but not inclusive...Read more
  • Five steps for organisations across the globe to become more skills-driven PROMOTED | The shift in the world of work has been felt across the globe...Read more
  • The future of workforce development PROMOTED | Northumbria University and partners share insight...Read more
  • Strathclyde Business School expands its Degree Apprenticeship offer in England PROMOTED | The University of Strathclyde is expanding its programmes...Read more
  • The Search for Talent: Six Major Employer Pitfalls PROMOTED | The Great Resignation continues unabated...Read more
  • Navigating the widening “Skills Confidence Gap” in 2022, and beyond PROMOTED | Cornerstone OnDemand conducted a global study...Read more
  • Apprenticeships are the solution to your recruitment problems PROMOTED | Apprenticeships have the pulling power...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2022

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2022 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Join
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today