- 39 percent are considering quitting their job or leaving the retail industry altogether, while 48 percent say they don’t receive enough support from their employer.
- Shaken staff speak out: ‘The last few weeks have been horrible’/’I’m speechless in shock’
- Store workers urged to take part in free training to protect themselves against abuse this Christmas
Store staff have warned they feel unsafe and are looking to leave the retail sector, as new research reveals one in three people face weekly abuse from buyers.
Charity Retail Trustwhich surveyed 1,200 workers, found that 47 per cent fear for their safety and 39 per cent want to leave their job or the sector altogether due to the increase in violent and abusive incidents.
Nearly half (48%) said they do not receive enough support from their employer to deal with current levels of violence, threats and abuse. Among those who did not feel supported, the number considering quitting rose to 56 percent, while three quarters (73 percent) said they did not feel safe because of that.
Affected workers have now been invited to take part in free skills training offered by the Retail Trust in November. It aims to help store staff across the country deal with an expected further rise in abusive behavior during the busy festive shopping period.
The Retail Trust also found:
- 80 percent of store employees and 90 percent of store managers have experienced incidents of workplace violence, with 98 percent verbal abuse, a third (33 percent) threats of violence, 14 percent physical attacks and 10 percent spitting. One in three people experience it every week.
- 64 percent said it was triggered by their confrontation with a shoplifter. 57% said they had witnessed a product being stolen or damaged.
- More than half (55%) said the situation had gotten worse over the past two years and almost two thirds (63%) said they now felt stressed and anxious as they approached work.
The Retail Trust is running free training sessions online and in London from November 12-14, to equip hundreds of store staff with new skills to handle difficult situations in store this Christmas and cope with any experience difficult. Retail workers can apply to participate by visiting retailtrust.org.uk/respect.
The Retail Trust’s Respect Retail Campaignbacked by major retail companies including H&M, bp, Frasers Group and Holland & Barrett, will also help businesses put in place new measures to support staff and adopt a zero tolerance approach to abuse.
H&M will donate proceeds from its tote bag levy in November to help the Retail Trust roll out its free training. Others supporting the campaign include the BRC and Usdaw.
The Retail Trust also runs a wellbeing helpline and offers advice to store staff in need, and works with over 200 retailers to improve the mental health of their staff.
Further research into the Retail Trust’s Respect Retail campaign revealed:
- 29 percent have received training from their employer in the past year to deal with workplace abuse.
- 17 percent of those who felt they received adequate support from their employer said they were considering leaving their job, significantly lower than the general workforce or those without a supportive employer .
- But a quarter (24%) admitted to not reporting incidents to their boss, partly because they think no one will help them, they don’t know how to do it, or because they have been discouraged by a previously unhelpful response from their boss. the police.
“People are afraid to express themselves”
“I’ve worked in retail all my life, since leaving school, and I’ve always loved the social aspect, but the last few weeks have been horrible to the point where I’ve considered quitting. resign,” admitted a saleswoman from Northern Ireland who spoke. under condition of anonymity. “Two department managers have resigned in the last two weeks because it was taking a toll on them. We can no longer do it physically, so morale is at its lowest.
“I thought things would calm down after the pandemic, but people got used to behaving this way, so it’s the norm now. I’ve been on conference calls with management and no one speaks up because they’re afraid of losing their job. An anonymous service that would allow colleagues to feel comfortable expressing themselves would be helpful.
“The comments are so rude that I am speechless, in shock”
A 27-year-old shop worker from Southampton said: “I used to work in a charity shop and had no problems, but moving into mainstream retail three years ago was a revelation. I’m pretty capable of defending myself, but sometimes the comments are so rude and inappropriate that I’m left speechless in shock.
“Luckily my husband also works in retail, so he understands. He’s been through all kinds of violent incidents, like someone on drugs coming at a staff member with a needle and my husband having to tackle him to the ground in rugby.
“A buyer threw his dirty toilet seat at me”
The first time I experienced abuse from customers, it completely shocked me,” added a 32-year-old hardware store manager from London.
“We have a policy that we cannot refund or exchange toilet seats due to hygiene reasons and one customer was unhappy. In her hand was her old, dirty toilet seat and when I explained to her the reasons why we can’t swap, she threw it at me. Security told him to leave but it shocked me. Last month I was told “the customer is always right”, but that’s not the case.
“Things have improved”
Others told the Retail Trust they had been attacked, had someone show them explicit photos on their phone and had products thrown at them, but Matt, 40, a retail store manager clothing in the West Midlands, said: “Two years ago we saw an increase in assaults and violence. We have had two or three incidents where managers were attacked. But things have improved over the past six months. We attribute this to our feedback to head office and the new measures and processes we have put in place.
“We provide de-escalation training for managers on how to handle threatening customers and advice on tone of voice and body language for junior managers, to help colleagues feel mentally prepared. We hold regular wellbeing meetings with the team and if they are absent due to an incident, we look at what we can put in place to support their return, such as increasing on-call cover and bringing in a external security company. Debriefing is vital, so if something happens today, we talk about it as a team the next morning: what happened, what could we do differently? »
“Thousands of people are considering leaving a job they love because they no longer feel safe”
“The incidents we hear about every day are both horrific and heartbreaking,” said Chris Brook-Carter, chief executive of Retail Trust. “People are telling us they have been spat on, had products broken in front of them and filmed on their phones by abusive shoppers who then threaten to post the footage on social media.
“Thousands of people are contacting us to tell us that they are now being forced to consider leaving a job they love and have often held for many years because they no longer feel safe there.
“This unacceptable behavior will only get worse unless more people are empowered to speak out, better supported to deal with their experiences and, above all, get the protection they need. I believe retail can still be a great place to build a career, but we know that even one terrible encounter can overshadow a hundred kind interactions.
“As a charity we work with over 200 retailers and many are now taking this very seriously by introducing new support, safety measures and dealing more closely with the police to report this criminal behavior .
“We want to work with even more companies to fight this abuse together. And I urge anyone who needs further help to cope with their experiences to call the Retail Trust’s wellbeing helpline or apply to take part in our free training in November.
Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, added: “Despite the huge investments made by retailers to protect their colleagues and customers, violence and abuse against staff has continued to rise, reaching more than 1,300 incidents per day.
“The Retail Trust’s latest findings remind us once again that we need to step up our efforts to tackle violence in retail and that this is essential for healthier, happier workplaces. Ultimately, retail is an industry that relies on the extraordinary efforts of three million people, and we must do everything we can to support them.
Tracey Clements, vice president of mobility and convenience for Europe at bp, said: “bp has been working with Retail Trust since 2022 and over the past few years we have closely monitored the increase in crime incidents and abuse in the sector.
“Safety is always our priority – and that includes psychological safety, as well as physical safety. The wellbeing tools and support offered by Retail Trust have been invaluable to our store colleagues during this period.
Henrik Nordvall, CEO of H&M UK & Ireland, said: “Every person has the right to feel safe in their workplace, and it is incredibly disheartening to hear the figures released today by the Retail Trust, which paint a picture of what retail workers across the world are experiencing. the country faces daily.
“The retail sector employs 20% of the UK workforce and offers incredible career opportunities for everyone. However, the harsh reality of worker abuse must be addressed to ensure our colleagues in the sector can reap the benefits and thrive in such an important sector. »
Visit retailtrust.org.uk/respect for more information on the Retail Trust’s Retail Respect campaign. or call the Retail Trust Wellbeing Helpline on 0808 801 0808 to speak to a qualified advisor for in-the-moment support.
*The total response size was 1,240 people who had previous contact with the Retail Trust. The survey took place online between August 27 and September 5 and, due to the sensitivity of the subject, was carried out anonymously.
