Legion Technologies, the leader in workforce management, today announced findings from its 2022 Seasonal Hourly Workforce Report, which highlights hourly employee and manager sentiment toward working and staffing during the holiday season. Based on feedback from more than 1,500 hourly employees and 500 managers, the report uncovered that the seasonal workforce values gig-like flexibility above all else, and not offering flexible, modern employment could be detrimental to businesses this holiday season.

According to the National Retail Federation, the retail industry alone hires approximately 500,000 temporary workers for the holiday season. The widespread need to fill positions has created a shift in power between hourly employees and their employers. With so many open positions, seasonal workers can be more selective in choosing their employment opportunities. Hourly employees are seeking positions that allow them to manage their own schedules, prioritize family events and avoid burnout. Retailers, restaurants, and hospitality businesses must evolve to attract and retain employees while simultaneously improving the lives of their managers.

“While the pandemic forced the knowledge work sector to evolve by offering more flexibility in working hours and location, the hourly workforce sector didn’t develop alongside it. This has created a significant gap between what hourly employees want and what hourly employment currently offers,” said Sanish Mondkar, CEO and founder of Legion Technologies. “On top of that, outdated manual processes and concerns over economic uncertainty are creating stress ahead of the holiday season, but it doesn’t have to. Retailers must rely on smart tools to optimize labor operations while simultaneously enhancing the experience of frontline employees.”

Legion’s research found that hourly employees are opting for gig-like flexibility because it gives them more control over their schedules and allows them to create a better work/life balance. In fact, 62% of hourly employees said having a schedule that meets their preferences is the most important thing about a seasonal employment opportunity. Further, nearly half would take a different job if the schedule better matched their preferences. Legion workforce management enables the intelligent automation of demand forecasting to instantly predict demand across all locations based on thousands of data points. By automatically matching business demands with employee skills and schedule preferences, Legion WFM creates the optimal schedule to meet both business and employee needs in seconds.

Additional findings from the more than 1,500 hourly employees surveyed include:

• 58% are not confident that their employer will have enough people this holiday season
• 37% of seasonal employees would take a new job if they were offered instant access to wages, up from 2% in 2021
• 40% of seasonal employees said their biggest concern for the holiday season was trying to manage work and family
• 43% of seasonal employees said the ability to pick up extra shifts or swap shifts was a top consideration in looking for a new job
• 46% of seasonal employees anticipate missing out on personal events due to work this holiday season
• 47% of seasonal employees anticipate working overtime this holiday season
• 33% of seasonal employees said not having a schedule that meets their preferences impacts them financially
• 39% of seasonal employees expect to work more than one job, with the most common reasons cited being the rising cost of living (69%) and the ability to afford gifts (62%)

Hourly employment must not only modernize to attract hourly talent, but it must also evolve to ease the burden for management. Last holiday season, managers struggled with understaffing, call-ins, no-shows, and burnout; and they have similar concerns this holiday season. The 2022 Seasonal Hourly Workforce Report revealed that 70% of managers agree matching employee preferences with the needs of the business is the hardest thing about creating schedules. On top of that, managers are spending the majority of their time handling manual tasks that waste time and lead to miscommunication. According to the report, half of the time an employee misses or is late to a shift due to miscommunication is because the schedule was changed last minute by the manager.

“The holiday season is arguably the most stressful time of year for hourly employees. Trying to balance work schedules with travel and family events takes a toll on their happiness and overall work experience,” said Traci Chernoff, Director of Employee Experience at Legion. “Knowing their people are incredibly valuable, it’s time for retailers, restaurants, and hospitality businesses to start catering to their needs or risk losing them to an opportunity that offers the flexibility, autonomy, and experience they’re looking for.”

Additional findings from more than 500 managers surveyed include:

• 59% of managers said creating fair, equitable schedules is one of the hardest things about their job
• 60% of managers are still using manual processes for creating schedules
• 69% of managers said staff shortages are the reason they’re more stressed this holiday season compared to last year
• The top three things that managers reported would make their lives easier:
  • An automated scheduling tool: 60%
  • Compliant time tracking tool: 36%
  • Automated demand forecasting tool: 34%
• 45% of managers said their company should offer flexible schedules to attract more people

For more information about the seasonal workforce or to view the full 2022 Seasonal Hourly Workforce Report, click here.