Shop staff report abuse worsening during pandemic

Three quarters of retail staff say abuse has got even worse during the pandemic, according to shopworkers’ union Usdaw.

The figure is one of the interim results of the union’s annual survey of 2,000 shop staff, which found that:

• 76% said abuse has been worse than normal during the Covid-19 pandemic;

• 85% of shopworkers have experienced verbal abuse;

• 57% had been threatened by a customer; and

• 9% had been assaulted.

The results were released as part of Usdaw’s Respect for Shopworkers Week (16 to 22 November), which is promoting its Freedom from Fear Campaign and a parliamentary petition which calls on the government to legislate to protect shopworkers (link below).

Shopworkers have talked about their experiences, which include:

• “Asked a customer to join the back of a queue, got verbal abuse. She then returned to the store with a knife and said she was going cut me up.”

• “Trying to belittle and humiliate you. Undermining what you are saying about the rules.”

• “I had members of the public cough on me as I was stacking shelves."

• “People pulling your mask off for being a sheep.”

https://www.usdaw.org.uk/About-Us/News/2020/Nov/Threequarters-of-retail-staff-say-abuse-has-been-w

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/328621