Employees in frontline roles report the worst experience. Here’s how to help.

Our research on frontline workers of color ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ 

TODAY'S NEWS. TOMORROW'S INSIGHTS. A daily newsletter from McKinsey & Company   Edited by Katherine Tam   Digital Editor, New York On frontline workers In the news • Filling 'unfillable' jobs. Long before employees started quitting in record numbers, service industry workers were already hard to find. Now, to fill roles, employers are offering generous starting salaries and even signing bonuses. Yet many workers are still quitting in the face of low pay, fluctuating hours, and hazardous working conditions. In the US, 68% of people who died during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic worked in the retail, labor, and service industries. Experts say that employers could make frontline jobs more appealing by offering flexibility, predictability, and respect. [BBC] • Choose your own hours. As the labor market remains tight, more employers in service, healthcare, and manufacturing are letting employees pick their own hours. The proportion of US workers choosing part-time employment is at its highest level since early 2020, helping to fuel a rise in flexible working hours. Companies say that allowing shift workers to choose between different working arrangements enables them to reach new types of workers. Due to an aging population, many working-age people have taken on additional responsibilities, such as caring for older parents. [WSJ] Our research found that 45% of hourly workers don't believe their company encourages them to take advantage of work–life policies. On McKinsey.com • Vital roles. Whether waiting tables or stocking store shelves, many Americans are introduced to the workforce through frontline jobs. Frontline hourly and salaried workers are a vital part of the US economy. But for too many workers, frontline jobs have become a starting point and an end point, especially for workers of color without a path to advancement. Three out of every four frontline workers want to be promoted, yet less than one in four achieves that, according to research by McKinsey senior partner Lareina Yee and colleagues. • Meaningful work. Of all employees, frontline hourly workers report the lowest overall feelings of inclusion. They are also more likely than their salaried peers to believe that their organization is inconsistent when it comes to promoting employees on merit. For tens of millions of workers of color, frontline jobs have the potential to be so much more. Companies that truly invest in the front line can also make these roles a starting point for a fulfilling and meaningful career. To learn how companies can better support frontline workers, explore our road map for change. See the research Was this forwarded to you? Sign up here. Or send us feedback— we'd love to hear from you. Follow our thinking This email contains information about McKinsey's research, insights, services, or events. By opening our emails or clicking on links, you agree to our use of cookies and web tracking technology. For more information on how we use and protect your information, please review our privacy policy. You received this email because you subscribed to the On Point newsletter. Manage subscriptions | Unsubscribe Copyright © 2022 | McKinsey & Company, 3 World Trade Center, 175 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10007