Store employees consider quitting because weekly abuse makes them feel unsafe | United Kingdom

Store staff have warned they feel unsafe and intend to leave the retail sector as new research reveals that one in three are being subjected to a weekly torrent of abuse from customers.

Retail Trust found that 47% fear for their safety and 39% want to leave their jobs or industry completely due to the rising tide of violence.

And almost half say they do not receive enough support from their employers to deal with current levels of violence, threats and abuse. Among those who felt unsupported, the number who considered quitting rose to 56%, while three-quarters admitted they feel unsafe while at work.

Affected workers have now been urged to take part in free skills training offered by the charity ahead of the Christmas rush. The aim is to help store staff across the country manage another expected rise in abusive behavior during the busy festive shopping period.

The study of 1,200 workers found that 80% of employees and 90% of store managers faced abusive incidents at work, with verbal abuse being the most common, followed by threats of violence, physical assault and 10% saying they had been spat on. One in three experience this weekly.

The new Respect in Retail campaign, supported by major retail companies including H&M, bp, Frasers Group and Holland & Barrett, will also support companies to take new measures to help employees and adopt a zero-tolerance approach to abuse, after just 29% said they had received training from their employer in the last year to deal with abuse at work.

H&M will donate proceeds from its bag fee during the month of November to help the Trust implement its free training.

A 27-year-old salesman from Southampton added: “I used to work in a charity shop and didn’t have any problems, but moving into traditional retail three years ago was a revelation. I’m quite capable of defending myself, but sometimes the comments are so rude and inappropriate that I’m left open-mouthed in shock.

“Luckily, my husband also works in retail, so he understands. He’s dealt with all sorts of violent incidents, like someone on drugs attacking a staff member with a needle and my husband having to rugby tackle him.

The first time I was abused by customers, it completely surprised me,” added a 32-year-old hardware store manager from London.

“We have a policy that we cannot refund or exchange toilet seats for hygiene reasons and one customer was upset. In her hand was her old, dirty toilet seat and when I explained the reasons why we can’t replace it, she threw it at me. Security told her to leave, but that shocked me. Last month I was told that ‘the customer is always right’, but that’s not the case.”

Chris Brook-Carter, chief executive of the Retail Trust, said: “The incidents we hear about every day are horrific and heartbreaking.

“People tell us they have been spat on, had products destroyed in front of them and were filmed on their cell phones by abusive shoppers who then threatened to publish the images on social media.

“Thousands of people are contacting us to say they are now being forced to consider leaving a job they love and have often worked in 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, have better support to deal with their experiences and, above all, get the protection they need.

“I believe retail can still be an incredible place to build a career, but we know that even a single terrible encounter can overshadow hundreds of kind interactions.”

The charity is now working with more than 200 retailers and says many are now taking the problem “extremely seriously” and introducing new supports, security and dealing more closely with the police to report this criminal behavior.

Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, added: “Despite retailers’ huge investment in protecting their colleagues and customers, violence and abuse against staff has continued to rise, reaching more than 1,300 incidents a day.

“The Retail Trust’s latest findings are yet another reminder that we must redouble our efforts to combat violence in retail and that this is essential for healthier, happier workplaces.

“Ultimately, retail is an industry that depends on the incredible efforts of three million people and we must do what we can to support them.”