the impact of working conditions on women in retail sector: How do affect women's mental and physical health?

The pressure on retail sales assistants to perform is increasing with the introduction of new sales strategies and sales targets. A sales assistant's job profile includes maintaining a friendly demeanour and a well-groomed appearance when dealing with customers. Sales assistants must therefore carry out effective emotional labour in addition to demonstrating their professional expertise. Emotional labour involves managing and controlling one's own emotions. This means that sales assistants must display feigned and acted-out emotions in order to arouse the customer's interest and build their loyalty to the company. As a result, women in particular in the retail sector struggle with mental and physical strain in the workplace. It is therefore important to examine the impact that working in the retail sector has on women's health. This thesis examines trends in the retail sector and their effects and consequences on the physical and mental well-being of employees.