CLEANING
Pride under pressure
Cleaners report some of the highest levels of job enjoyment (97%) but sit on the most fragile ground.
61% have no savings, and 77% experience financial stress, with transport (43.8%) and low wages (28.8%) topping the list of challenges.
Promotion clarity is low (35%), and while interest in savings products is strong (4.23/5), only 35% use EWA. Long commutes and low pay drain income before anything can be set aside.
They work with pride and connection, but that pride doesn’t pay the taxi fare. The mismatch between motivation and means makes cleaners the most exposed group. They’re often one disruption away from a financial crisis.
What the industry leaders are doing
Top employers in cleaning provide transport stipends or shuttles for early and late shifts, while recognition schemes reward reliability.
RETAIL
Squeezed from both sides
Retail staff face pressure both at work and at home.
Unclear communication (26.3%) and low wages (25.2%) are key stressors, alongside transport (23.6%).
Financial stress is highest here (79%), with 58% reporting no savings. Job enjoyment is lower than other sectors (90%), and promotion clarity sits at 38%.
Retail workers are also the heaviest users of EWA (76%), underlining how often day-to-day survival depends on bridging cash flow gaps. They are eager for savings tools (4.37/5 interest) but survival leaves little space for stability. Recognition and communication gaps amplify the strain, risking disengagement and churn.
What the industry leaders are doing
Progressive retailers use digital recognition platforms and experiment with payroll-linked micro-savings features to reduce churn.
SECURITY
Relatively stable, but still stretched
Security guards show what relative stability looks like. They report high enjoyment (97%), clearer promotion pathways (49%), and stronger team connection.
Though 43% have no savings, it is significantly lower than retail or cleaning, and financial stress is also lower (62%).
Their biggest stressors are transport (34.2%) and safety (13.7%). EWA usage is 51%, and interest in savings remains strong (4.12/5). Security work illustrates how clearer career ladders and recognition can offset fragility, but transport costs and safety risks still erode buffers.
What the industry leaders are doing
Leading security firms invest in training certifications, recognition schemes, and subsidised transport to strengthen site reliability and morale.
Why a sector-specific view matters
A cleaner, a cashier, and an officer may stand shoulder to shoulder at one shop, but their financial realities are not the same. Cleaners are most exposed, retail workers are most reliant on short-term fixes, and security guards, while steadier, still carry stress. Fragility has a sectoral fingerprint, and it shows up differently in absenteeism, churn and disengagement.
Employers who act sector by sector can prevent predictable fragility and convert vulnerability into advantage: reliable attendance, stronger retention, and safer, more productive operations. Tailored action is not just compassion. It is strategy. Leaders who invest now will build loyalty and resilience. Those who don’t will keep paying hidden costs in missed shifts, accidents, and turnover.
