Union: Nine out of ten shop staff abused by customers last year

Nearly 90% of shop workers in Scotland say they suffered abuse from customers in the last 12 months, according to a survey.

The report by retail trade union Usdaw reveals workers have been punched, kicked, grabbed, sworn at, shouted at, insulted and threatened.

One worker reported having bags of shopping thrown at them for asking a customer to follow social distance guidelines while another received a chilling warning to “watch yourself going home at night”.

Usdaw urged retail staff not to suffer in silence as the interim results of its 2021 survey of nearly 3,464 shop workers across the UK found that 89% had experienced verbal abuse and 64% were threatened by customers. One in 10 was physically assaulted.

Despite the appalling statistics, nearly half (46%) said they were not confident that reporting such incidents would make a difference. And 7% of those who had been assaulted did not report the incident.

One shop worker in Central Scotland said customers had been “abusive because they are having to wait in a queue or at self-scan to get alcohol or security tags taken off.” Another revealed a customer threatened to “wait on me outside and kick my head in.”

Shop staff in Glasgow said “a customer tried to punch me” that they had experienced “threats of physical violence” and had been “called several demeaning names”.

Also reported in the West of Scotland were “staff being grabbed by customers; threatened with knives; racially abused; and received degrading comments, calling us stupid little girls, worthless, and idiots.” One worker added: “Customers really think they can say whatever they want to us.”

A worker in the Highlands said: “Social distancing and mask wearing have resulted in confrontations. I had someone throw their shopping at me.”

Workers in the South of Scotland said they had been “sworn at, spat at, kicked at, punched at, eggs thrown at me.” Another added: “Customer would not social distance, I got an absolute mouthful, said he knew better as he was a doctor.”

Paddy Lillis, Usdaw General Secretary, said: “It is heart-breaking to hear these testimonies from shop workers who deserve far more respect. Our survey shows the scale of the appalling violence, threats and abuse faced by shop workers. It is shocking that nine in 10 of our members working in retail are suffering abuse from customers, with far too many experiencing threats and violence.

“So it is extremely worrying that over half are not confident that reporting these issues will make any difference and 7% of those assaulted did not report the incident.

“The new protection of workers law in Scotland is welcome. It is also clear that the new law needs to be enforced right across Scotland.

“Usdaw is urging retail workers and employers to help make that happen by recording incidents and reporting them to the police. Our message is ‘Report it to sort it’.”

A worker’s story

I can easily imagine 90% of shop staff being abused during the pandemic. I’m surprised it’s not more.

People are uptight. They don’t like having to wear masks, or sanitise their hands, keep their distance or follow one-way systems. They do it but they don’t like it, and they resent being reminded.

They wander in with no masks, or have them hanging off their chin or under their nose then, when asked to put them on, look at you like “What’s it got to do with you?”

There are a lot of rude, disrespectful people and this just gives them an excuse. I’ve not had anything I couldn’t handle. There is a nastiness from people treating you like you’re a moron as you’ve asked them to put on a mask.

To be honest, some of the most vocal complainers have been NHS workers shouting the odds about us not accepting their Blue Light discount card. It’s not the doctors or nurses. Usually, it’s people who have never been near an emergency ward or a Covid patient in their puff.

Meanwhile, shopworkers like me, taxi drivers, bus drivers, pub and restaurant staff, all of these people who have put themselves at risk to go out to work with the public through the lockdown are getting a fraction of what NHS staff are getting and there’s
no talk of bonuses or rises for us.

No, we’ll be lucky to keep our jobs. People should remember that before they go off on one because they’ve been told they have to wear a mask or whatever.