Understanding the current issues facing shop workers and work needed to deal with them

Retail workers are facing unprecedented abuse, violence and uncertainty and it is vital to recognise what is needed to protect and support them during a crisis on the high street

Figures from The Retail Jobs Report showed approximately 2.9 million people working in the retail sector in the UK [1] cited 20.2.24.

For those who have strong interpersonal skills, enjoy being around people, interacting with customers or who want a job with suitable hours to fit their particular lifestyle, working in retail can be ideal.

The sector often offers flexible hours that can be compatible in achieving a good work-life balance, and jobs can also come with competitive pay and an opportunity to grow within a company.

But the retail sector has faced significant and worrying challenges in recent years.

There has been a sharp rise in aggression and mistreatment of shop workers, and a number of high street shops have been forced to close following the pandemic and shift towards online shopping.

Violence and abuse against shop workers rose to 1,300 incidents a day last year, according to a recent report [2] cited 20.2.24

Incidents against staff were said to be up by 50 per cent in the year to September 2023, up from 870 incidents a day the year before.

Retail staff are reported to have faced racial abuse, sexual harassment, physical assault and threats with weapons.

A British Retail Consortium survey reported that about 8,800 of the total incidents across the year resulted in injury.

The study found that theft by customers had doubled to 16.7 million incidents a year, up from eight million.

Retailers are fighting back. Many businesses have invested in crime prevention measures, such as CCTV, body-worn cameras, and increased security staff, to protect workers from violence and abuse.

News of the shocking treatment of retail workers came shortly after reports that the Body Shop became the latest big name high street retailer to find itself in financial trouble.

The ethical beauty chain collapsed into administration in the UK less than three months after it was taken over by a private equity company, in a move that is said to put more than 2,200 jobs at risk [3] cited 20.2.24

Aurelius, the German company that bought The Body Shop for £207m in November, said it had been unable to revive the fortunes of the business after dismal trading over Christmas and new year.

Despite the highlighted issues, depending on individual goals, interests, and preferences, working in retail can still offer some benefits, such as opportunities for learning and development, flexibility and variety, discounts and bonuses.

It is important for employees in the sector to be aware of what they can expect from employers in relation to keeping them safe and protecting them from harm, and to understand what will happen if they are facing redundancy.

Here we take a closer look at those two issues.

Violence and abuse against retail workers

In Scotland there is a specific law that protects retail workers from abuse and violence, called the Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-restricted Goods and Services) (Scotland) Act 2021 [4] cited 20.2.24

The legislation makes it an aggravated offence to assault, threaten or abuse another person who is a retail worker, and who is engaged, at the time of the offence, in retail work.

There is currently no specific law in England and Wales that protects retail workers from abuse and violence. Crimes are dealt with under existing offences e.g. threatening behaviour, common assault or a specific hate crime.

The retail trade union Usdaw has launched a campaign called ‘Freedom from Fear’ to raise awareness and demand action on the issue, and it has backed the campaign to extend the Scottish protection of workers law to the rest of the UK [5] cited 20.2.24

Every retailer has a duty of care to protect its staff from harm, and to provide a safe and supportive working environment.

It does mean businesses should take proactive measures to prevent and reduce the risk of abuse and violence, such as:

• Carrying out regular risk assessments and putting appropriate security measures in place, such as CCTV, panic buttons, alarms, and security guards where practicable.

• Ensuring all staff are suitably trained and given adequate guidance on how to deal with difficult and abusive customers, and how to report and record incidents.

• Any member of staff who is a victim of abuse or violence should be given meaningful and relevant support e.g. counselling, legal advice, or other assistance.

• Work collaboratively with the police and other partners to share information, report crimes, and seek justice for victims.

Any retail employee concerned about any form of abuse or violence should take action, which can include the following:

• Victims can find it difficult to report incidents, but they should do so and seek support if needed to do it. Report it to a manager or the employer and detail what happened, when, where, and who was involved.

• If injured seek medical attention and keep any evidence of injuries, such as photographs, medical reports or prescriptions.

• If a worker is the victim of an assault or subjected to threats or harassment, contact the police and cooperate with any investigations or prosecutions.

• Seek support from a trade union if a member, or from colleagues, friends and family or access confidential helplines or counselling services, if in need of emotional or practical help.

• Know your rights and options, and seek legal advice or representation if you want to pursue a claim or compensation against an attacker or employer.

Redundancy

News of redundancy, expected or not, can be worrying for any employee and cause anxiety, fear and stress.

Knowing what to expect and what a fair redundancy process should look like is essential in such a situation.

It will help a retail worker to ensure they are treated fairly, or in a good position to challenge the process if it is unfair.

In summary, a fair redundancy process for an employee in the retail sector should include the following:

• Affected employees should be given as much warning as possible. Meaningful consultation should then take place to establish if there are any reasonable alternatives to redundancy.

• Any selection criteria used should be fair and objective and not based on any discriminatory factors e.g. age, disability or pregnancy.

• During the process the employee should be given a chance to ask questions, raise objections and make suggestions. The employer should also consider any feedback from the employee before making a final decision.

• The employer should explore if there are any suitable alternative employment opportunities within the organisation, which can be offered to a worker at risk of redundancy.

• A decision should be communicated in writing, which should provide details of the reasons, the notice period, the redundancy pay and the right to appeal.

ACAS provide a comprehensive guide on how an employer should conduct a fair redundancy process and what an employee can expect from it [6] cited 20.4.24

Finally

There are, obviously, particular challenges currently facing retail workers who do a vital job in providing essential goods and services to customers.

All shopworkers should feel safe, valued and listened to at work. If they have any problems or concerns then they should be able to speak to their employer.

Retailers should adhere to their duty of care to staff and be open, transparent and supportive on issues affecting workers, and be fair in how they address any such matters.