Scottish retail staff to get advice on violence

Efforts are being stepped up to protect retail workers in Scotland from abuse, as figures show violent incidents are on the rise.

The latest figures from Retailers Against Crime show 892 incidents of retail crime involving violence or abuse of staff were recorded in Scotland last year - an increase of 78% in the past three years.

However, the true number may be higher because of unreported incidents. According to shop-workers union Usdaw, a member of retail staff is verbally or physically attacked every minute of the working day.

Now staff and employers are to be offered more support to help tackle the issue. As part of its efforts to improve the health of people at work, The Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives has appointed Linda Shanahan as national violence prevention manager to address workplace violence.The retail industry will be a key focus.

"Verbal and physical abuse in the workplace is more common than most of us imagine, particularly in public-facing industries such as retail. In the current economic climate, when customers are under more financial pressure, the risk is even higher," says Shanahan. "The consequences of work-related violence are wide ranging and can have a negative impact on the physical or mental health of staff. This can also result in extra costs for the business from absenteeism and can lead to difficulties in staff retention."

Violence at work covers any incident in which an employee is verbally or physically abused, threatened or assaulted at their work by a member of the public. It is estimated that 38% of people working in a public-facing occupation in Scotland have suffered verbal abuse by a member of the public in the last 12 months. Many of these incidents have gone unreported due to a lack of robust reporting procedures or perceptions about the inevitability of being abused.

In the retail industry, abusive incidents are often linked to retail crime (shoplifting or robbery), to staff refusing to sell age-restricted goods such as alcohol or cigarettes or when goods are being returned. However, experts point out that the reasons for verbal abuse of retail staff including threats are many and come from all sections of society.

Usdaw Scottish Divisional Officer Lawrence Wason says: "Most people working in the retail industry have experienced verbal or physical violence at some point in their careers. It could be a customer becoming abusive regarding a proof of age or a shoplifter becoming aggressive or even violent if they are challenged by staff. None of these incidents is acceptable. We welcome the fact that this issue is being addressed at a national level and look forward to working with the Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives to take this forward."