Peterborough shop worker says abuse towards staff is increasing at worrying rate
A rise of people stealing in shops is being partly blamed
Last updated 18th Sep 2023
A retail worker from Peterborough is speaking out, telling us abuse towards shop staff has increased to worrying levels in the past year.
Rachel Birdsall, who works in food retail, says an increase in shoplifting is partly to blame for this, as many instances of abuse is occurring when staff confront stealing customers.
According to ONS data, people are shoplifting in the East of England nearly 20% more than the last 12 months.
Every staff member in Tesco is currently being offered body cams - after physical abuse towards them nationally has increased by a third in the past year.
Rachel tells us more about her experience in the sector:
"There was one incident where I watched a gentleman who was taking some fresh meat from the shop.
"I challenged him at the door and he threw the stock at me and my colleague, hitting my colleague - the risk of instances like this is high at the moment.
"Customers are also getting aggressive at the Challenge 25 policy - if a group of kids come in, if they're in a group, they often feel like they can intimidate, shout and scream.
"They're thinking well, actually there's just one worker here and we're in a group so we can have a go - colleagues are just doing their jobs!
"I've got a colleague who just decided to reduce her hour as she's concerned about the behaviours.
"The abuse has an impact on colleagues mentally and physically, some colleagues take the remarks thrown at them personally - because they are personal."
On what Rachel wants to see change going forward, she said:
"If I logged every incident with our local police they wouldn't have anything else do deal with, they'd have to deal with shop -related crime their entire shift.
"The regulation that came in for protection of emergency workers that was supposed to include shop workers but we were was pulled out, should be adhered to us.
"We should have that safety, we're on the front line every single time, we were during covid.
"The issues around theft, abuse, and threatening behaviour are not just the same, they've actually increased.
"We shouldn't have to go to work and be worried thinking about who's going to come in today.
"So I want the government to revisit the Work and Regulations Act in terms of threatening behaviours and the Shop Workers Act."