South East worst region for public abuse against workers
Figures show over 74% of people have seen instances of the public abusing staff
Figures reveal that the South East is the worst region for abuse in the workplace.
From betting shops and kennels to supermarkets and doctors surgeries - nearly half of workers (47%) in the region say they’ve been a victim of abuse by the public at work.
And 74% have witnessed a verbal or physical assault often trying to intervene (64%) themselves.
Typically, the incident has happened in a retail store but also in restaurants, cafes on public transport and hospitals and ‘kicked off with a row over customer service or people being drunk.
Research published today by Little Green Button reveals the mental and physical impact felt by staff nationally with almost two thirds saying it’s made them anxious and around half that it has affected their mental health.
Often workers say they don’t feel supported by their employers or colleagues (51%) with around half saying they want better training to deal with assaults ( 46%) or other measures like a security guard or panic button.
The research follows a recent NHS Staff survey report which found that more than a third of doctors have recently experienced verbal abuse and sometimes physical threats.
In hospitals, it was most often nurses who were abused, while 96% of GPs had seen it happen to receptionists. Some NHS workers reported hiding their badges in public.
Andrew Goodacre from CEO of the British Independent Retailers says more needs to be done to support workers who are victims of abuse, but also stop the incidents in the first place:
"The reality is some sectors are facing vacancies and part of that is because people don't want to work in a sector where they face abuse that has been somewhat normalised.
"We think we have found ways of improving the response from police and support that employees get.
"We now need to find a way, and we thought the government had an opportunity to, send out stronger messaging to the public that abuse against workers is not acceptable.
"The very same people kept us served, kept us fed and kept us going during the pandemic. Often, at risk to themselves.
"So lets just remind ourselves where we've been here and start to get back this community spirit we seem to have lost."