These figures are sobering . They are also important for spa leaders to recognize , especially because front line workers ( 67 percent ) and mid-level employees ( 64 percent ) are substantially more likely than upper-level employees ( 54 percent ) to experience negative impacts of work-related stress . As spas seek to recruit and retain young employees , it ’ s vital to understand that these workers may be carrying around additional ( potentially invisible ) stress and feeling its impact more acutely than others . And , given that money is a particularly powerful stressor for those
employees , conversations about compensation , whether they occur as part of the hiring process or as part of a spa ’ s regular review processes , should be at least informed by this data .
Also relevant to spas ? Workers who perform work related to customer interaction , sales or other service-oriented work — in other words , front line staff and service providers — report higher levels of emotional exhaustion ( 40 percent compared to 25 percent ) and cognitive weariness ( 44 percent compared to 29 percent ) than their administrative and managerial colleagues .
The data can be a lot to digest , but at least one thing seems clear : Despite the perception that we are emerging from the stressful peaks of the pandemic , employees continue to face heightened levels of stress , which is likely to affect everything from on-thejob performance to employment decisions . The spa leaders who remain mindful of this reality can more effectively respond to the needs of their teams and potentially mitigate some of that stress — a win-win for employee mental health and spa recruitment and retention . n
“ The APA reports that almost two-thirds of those surveyed ( 65 percent ) indicated money and the economy as a ‘ significant source of stress ’ in March of 2022 .”