Around 65% of shopworkers have experienced verbal abuse in the past 12 months, a new study reveals.
Retail trade union Usdaw has launched statistics from its annual survey for this year’s Respect for Shopworkers Week, which runs from 13-19 November. Interim results from more than 3,000 retail staff responses also show that in the past 12 months:
- 42% were threatened by a customer.
- 5% were assaulted.
- 60% of these incidents were triggered by shoplifting and two-thirds of those were linked to addiction.
The annual Respect for Shopworkers Week sees Usdaw members raising awareness of the union’s year-round Freedom from Fear Campaign and talking to the public to promote a message of ‘respect for shopworkers’.
Paddy Lillis, Usdaw General Secretary, said: “Our survey demonstrates that shoplifting is not a victimless crime, theft from shops has long been a major flashpoint for violence and abuse against shopworkers. Having to deal with repeated and persistent shoplifters can cause issues beyond the theft itself like anxiety, fear and in some cases physical harm to retail workers. Our members are reporting that they are often faced with hardened career criminals in their stores and much of the abuse they suffer is from those who are stealing to sell goods on, often to fund an addiction.”
He added: “This week Usdaw activists will be campaigning in their workplaces and communities calling on the shopping public to ‘respect shopworkers’ and ‘keep your cool’, particularly in the run-up to Christmas when the number of incidents increases as shops get busy and customers become frustrated. This is a hugely important issue for our members and they are saying loud and clear that enough is enough.”
Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “The victims are teenagers taking on their first job, carers looking for part-time work, parents working around childcare. While the violence can be over in a moment, the victims carry these experiences with them for a lifetime. And we all know the impact does not stop there – it affects their colleagues, friends, and the family our colleagues go home to.“
