Retail industry leads the way with flexible working

The Australian retail industry is pioneering a flexible work approach in a bid to fill job vacancies and meet the demands of a 24 hour working environment.

With nearly half the retail workforce (47 per cent) adopting part time employment, flexibility in the workplace has delivered significant improvements for employers; including retaining and attracting employees and providing staff with a better work/life balance.

Liana Gorman Director of Part Time Online, Australia’s leading flexible employment website, comments:

"Success in adopting a flexible approach to working practices has demonstrated to retail employers that there are many benefits to the pragmatic approach. Not only can employers fill long term job vacancies with skilled workers, but in doing so they have made themselves more efficient and profitable."

Furthermore, Gorman argues: "Recognising that staff have needs and commitments outside work and providing a flexible roster to accommodate these varying needs, means good quality staff can be recruited and most importantly, retained. Efficient staff equates to better customer service and ultimately a better business."

Job vacancies have long been a significant issue in the retail industry and figures predict the situation is likely to worsen. The industry’s projected jobs growth is set to be over 250,000 annually. With this prediction, attracting and retaining staff by offering flexible work approaches will become critical for all employers.

Top facts:

• Currently 1,490,900 people in Australia work in the retail industry 

• 47 per cent work part time

• 53 per cent are female

• 25 per cent are over 45 years old

• Interest in flexible employment in Australia has increased dramatically since 1978, with 71 per cent of women and 29 per cent of men now choosing to work in a part time or job share capacity (of the 29% currently employed part time)

• In March/April 2007 the recorded growth in part time employment was 330 per cent

• Top five occupations in retail industry - sales assistants, store managers, checkout operators, cashiers, store-persons and motor mechanics

• The number of women employed in the retail industry has grown over the last 20 years to 796,700, representing an increase of 290,000 or 60 per cent

• Australia-wide 2.9 million people** are employed in part time work, a third of the entire workforce