// 2/3 of shopworkers who report incidents of abuse or violence say no help was given to them from employer or police
// Only 1/5 who reported incidents were satisfied with how the police or their employer responded
// Most respondents said they had witnessed and experienced verbal or physical abuse at work
Two-thirds of shopworkers who reported incidents of abuse or violence have suggested that no help was given to them after receiving an initial response from their employer or the police, according to a report.
In fact a survey of 12,000 retail staff – published by the Home Affairs Committee – found that only one in five shopworkers who reported incidents were satisfied with how the police or their employer responded.
Most respondents said they had witnessed and experienced verbal or physical abuse at work.
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Half of those surveyed reported incidents to the police, of which only 12 per cent led to an arrest.
Meanwhile a third did not report incidents to their employer because they believed nothing would be done or it was “just part of the job”.
The findings were published ahead of a Westminster debate today on protection for retail workers after a petition by the shopworkers union Usdaw was signed by more than 100,000 people.
Yvette Cooper, who chairs the Home Affairs Committee, said: “During the Covid crisis, we’ve seen an appalling and unacceptable increase in reported attacks and abuse against shop workers.
“No-one should feel unsafe at their place of work and there are no circumstances where such behaviour should be tolerated.
“The sheer number of responses we have received shows just how widespread this problem is.
“In far too many cases retail workers don’t report incidents as they feel nothing will be done or that they’re expected to deal with such appalling incidents as part of their job. That’s simply not the case and it’s clear that action is needed to change this.
“The committee is currently assessing the wider evidence we’ve received. I hope the government responds constructively to the serious issues we have identified.”
with PA Wires
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