Going to work has it’s ups and downs. You get good customers and bad. Each day more and more videos shared by workers reveal the abuse, verbal and physical, that they have endured in the workplace. In the UK, statistics have shown that on a daily basis, 455 abusive attacks on retail staff happen everyday. Big retailers have asked the prime minister to act and help put a stop to “shocking violence and abuse”. Some of these retailers include, Primark, Sainsburys and Tesco.
Many shop workers are saying the increase of abuse has happened due to the pandemic and that people’s reactions towards the social distancing and mask policy has not been a good one. The number of attacks went up during the pandemic, with some weapons being drawn, but also workers being coughed at or spat on.
Due to these attacks, retailers have taken extra precautions. Some encourage their staff to wear body cameras and personal attack alarms. “Behind each of these statistics is a person, a family, colleagues, and communities that have to cope with the trauma.
This month, Usdaw released a press release saying that in a survey done by 3,500 retail staff, in the last 12 months, 89% have experienced verbal abuse, 64% were threatened by a customer, 11% were assaulted, 46% were not confident reporting abuse, threats or violence would make a difference, and 7% of those who had been adducted did not report the incident.
With the Christmas season approaching, a new covid variant circulating, and rules being put in place, the abuse to workers is only going up. This was an issue long before the pandemic, it has only been the past 12 months where people have taken their time to notice the abuse staff endure daily.
