Nearly a third (30%) of shopworkers are considering changing their job and 41% feel anxious about work because of high levels of verbal abuse, threats and assaults, new research reveals.
Retail trade union Usdaw’s annual survey shows the number of incidents has come down since the exceptionally high levels during the pandemic, but remains higher than pre-Covid levels in 2019. The figures show 69.2% have experienced verbal abuse, 41.6% were threatened by a customer, and 5% were assaulted.
Paddy Lillis, Usdaw General Secretary, said: “Faced with such high levels of aggression from customers, it is of little surprise that so many are considering changing their job to escape the abuse. The potential cost for retail employers to recruit, train and induct new staff adds to the astronomical price they already pay for theft from shops and security measures. That will have an inevitable impact on prices in the middle of a cost of living crisis and should be a concern to us all.
“Violence and abuse is not an acceptable part of the job and too many shopworkers suffer all too often. We still need better co-ordination to ensure that retail employers, police and the courts work together to make stores safer and give staff the support and confidence they need. Most of all, we ask the public to support our campaign by respecting shopworkers.”
