Nowhere is the following statement more obvious than in the retail and restaurant sector - work-related stress has a significant negative impact on employee productivity, wellbeing and emotional fitness. Constantly changing schedules, drastic seasonal swings and odd hours place a great deal of pressure on both employees and managers. As a result, it’s important for retail and restaurant employers to provide resources that help employees feel safe, supported, confident and empowered to respond appropriately during challenging situations.
Common stressors
Extended or irregular shifts
Loss of sleep and family time (especially during the holidays)
Increased risk of injury (slips, falls, lifting)
Lack of control over work environment
Dealing with challenging customers
Crowd management and violence
Specialized support and resources for retail, restaurant and hospitality organizations and their employees
Beyond the features and resources found in the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) model for clients in all industries, CuraLinc’s programs for retail and restaurant clients offer additional features that are tailored to the rapidly changing work environment commonly found with retail and restaurant employers. In addition to helping employees deal with stress and maintain work-life balance, CuraLinc also provides consultation to assist retailers and restaurant chains with designing internal policies and programs that support employee wellbeing.
Creative communication plan From custom home mailers to rotating videos before and after hours to direct email and text campaigns to employees, CuraLinc has the creativity and flexibility necessary to engage retail and restaurant employees.
Same-day crisis response CuraLinc sends clinical resources within a matter of hours to address critical events such as a robbery, workplace violence or employee death.
Resources for first-time managers CuraLinc’s management consultants are experts at helping first-time managers address challenging employee situations.
MSK support The disability and chronic pain driven by many musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions may underlie the development of a variety of mental health concerns, such as depression or anxiety. Conversely, many symptoms of mental health disorders can exacerbate the symptoms of an MSK disorder. CuraLinc offers a variety of EAP-driven tactics and service elements designed to facilitate holistic care for participants with comorbid MSK and mental health disorders.
EAP platform Retail and restaurant employees can chat live with licensed clinicians, schedule video counseling and connect with the program through the digital behavioral health platform.
Retail and restaurant outcomes
The International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications published a peer-reviewed study in 2024 based on the health and productivity outcomes of 9,869 CuraLinc EAP participants from 201 different employers in the retail and restaurant industry. The results highlight the positive impact of CuraLinc’s counseling and mental health coaching services for employees in this industry:
86% were no longer at risk for depression
78% were no longer at risk for anxiety
76% were no longer at risk for alcohol misuse
86% no longer had a productivity problem
38 hours of restored productive time per month on average after treatment
For more information, or to review the entire study, visit EAPOutcomes.com.