Working Retail: The Ultimate Stress Inducer

I saw her face start to swell up and the whites of her eyes go red. She had just clocked in and it was only an hour into her shift, but it was review day for her and that was what tipped the scale. I had been there, felt that. Working in retail had driven me to the highest peak of stress. Combine that with graduate school and having another side job and you may as well have committed me. So I knew what the tears were and where they were coming from. I even knew the words that would come out of her mouth after I asked her if she was ok. "I'm going to find another job."

I've worked in all types of retail. Even food service which could be considered retail. The stress level was equivalent so I put them in the same category. Retail can go from 90 minutes of personal one on one service to having 2 minutes to make sure that the customer knows who you are. I've worked in competitive environments and laid back commission earning ones. However, one common thread that I have found is that there is always some form of stress. Whether it be the pressure to get to the top or keep your place there.

From what I've observed the majority of the stress comes from the pressure placed on associates by managers. It's a trickle down effect that leaves those that are towards the bottom of the totem pole feeling most of the slack. If store sales are down, someone has to be blamed and it all depends on hierarchy. 

The older I get I can't help but to realize how much this pressure can really affect people. Having dealt with intense anxiety, you don't know it's coming until it's there. With this recent encounter with my coworker I found myself actually being concerned. No one is ever dealing with just one form of stress. There is always more to consider when reprimanding someone and this particular coworker of mine was at her breaking point. Who is there to alleviate the come down of managers? Who is there when customers have been...well downright abusive to sales associates assuming that it's alright because it's their job? I myself have learned to handle the brunt of retail work, but is it something that has to be accepted?