The verbal abuse and harassment of retail workers is a known and growing problem, with retail crime across the board on the rise. Worryingly, whilst reported crime is decreasing in England and Wales, reported violent retail crime is increasing.

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) quotes figures of 1,300 incidents of violence per day. More staggeringly, the BRC calculates there are 16.7m shoplifting incidents a year (of which only about 2.5% are reported to the police).

These figures rightly get the headlines, which has resulted in much-needed regulatory scrutiny of these systemic issues.

For instance, the proposed introduction of a standalone offence of assaulting a shopworker after much lobbying by retailers and unions is welcome, as is the government’s broader Fighting Retail Crime initiative.

Although it has always been an offence to assault a shopworker, a standalone offence would be useful because it will contribute to a societal reset and signal to Joe Public that such behaviour is criminal and taken seriously.

Tackling harassment head-on

However, violent offences and dealing with shoplifting represent only a fraction of the unpleasantness that frontline retail and call centre staff must deal with. We appear to be facing a pervasive intolerance epidemic which is seeing retail workers routinely subjected to verbal abuse and harassment. 

To understand this issue and how retailers can tackle it in more detail, we have surveyed a sample of over 1,000 retail workers every two years. This provides benchmarking data to measure how retailers shape up when seeking certification under our Retailers Against Harassment programme, developed in partnership with The Retail Trust. The situation has sadly worsened since the first survey in 2019.

A sample of the most recent results is illustrative. 47% of workers surveyed report hearing language of a sexual, racist, homophobic or otherwise very offensive nature, while 1 in 4 have experienced physically aggressive or violent behaviour.

Remarkably, 26% have also experienced unwanted touching or hugging. More than half report dealing with angry customers more than once a week. Experience of angry customers included physical violence (11%), pointing or gesturing (55%), swearing (66%), raised voices (82%) and personal comments (43%).

Research by the Retail Trust last year also found attacks on shop staff are worsening, with two in five (41%) now shouted at, spat on, threatened or hit every week. 66 per cent said the incidents had left them feeling stressed or anxious about going into work.

The Retail Trust has warned that the scale of this abuse may be going unreported. A quarter of the people it spoke to last year admitted they don’t report abusive customers, largely because they didn’t think it would make a difference, they had been put off by previously unhelpful responses from the police or because there just weren’t the right policies, training or support in place from their employers.

However, the blame cannot be placed at the public’s door alone. The Foot Anstey survey also reveals an uncomfortable truth that gets lost amongst the focus on poor customer behaviour. All forms of inappropriate behaviour are also perpetrated by colleagues too, albeit to a lesser degree.

Whilst the relative infrequency of such cases may be of some reassurance, the reality for employers is that it is easier to bring a claim against an employer for the inappropriate behaviour of a colleague than it is for the failure to prevent customer abuse.

It is worth noting, however, that this position may change should a Labour government strengthen the obligations on employers for third-party harassment, as they have intimated.

The toll on workers

The impacts of harassment on workers (whether from the public or colleagues) are: stress (45%), anxiety (49%), depression (15%), loss of self-esteem (16%) and lower productivity (11%). Let's also not forget that the retail workforce is partly made up of many young people in their first job.

The Retail Trust reports that 42% of retail colleagues are considering quitting their jobs or leaving the retail industry altogether as a result, not just their current role. In an industry already challenged by recruitment, a focus on factors that will aid retention is critical.

More than half of workers surveyed also state that their employer could, or probably could, have done more to prevent the behaviours they complained about. This is not a recipe for a happy workforce or avoiding tribunal claims. The importance of immediate and meaningful action to protect businesses and staff cannot be overstated.

The way forward

The good news is that retailers can take positive and proactive steps to support employees, mitigate harassment, and show their workforce they are valued. However, one size does not fit all. Adopting a risk-based approach, based on an understanding of the risks specific to outlet type and location, is sensible. Taking the time to appreciate colleagues’ experiences and making data-informed decisions to assess the risks will prompt a range of mitigations.

This can include:

• Clear policies and procedures on expectations of colleagues and the handling of poorly behaved customers
• Leadership from the top, including encouragement to report incidents, because as unpalatable as the reading might be, what gets measured gets managed
• Being seen to act on reports, whether that is complaints about colleague behaviour or being willing to respond to customer bad behaviour (the customer isn't always right)
• Zero tolerance messages to customers, for example loudly supporting the Retail Trust’s ‘Respect Retail’ campaign
• Tangible support for employees through wellbeing and counselling services
• Specific or increased training including employee training on what isn't appropriate behaviour, and de-escalation training for managing angry customers
• Deterrent measures ranging from improvements to store design and staffing levels to facilitate a smooth customer experience, to body-worn cameras as part of de-escalation strategies, and protective screens in high-risk stores

Resetting the balance to create safe and happy places to work and shop is in everyone’s mutual interests. I would also suggest it is a core component of building a sustainable retail business.

About the author: Nathan Peacey is Head of Retail & Consumer Sector at Foot Anstey, a firm of business and legal advisors.