Industry
Abuse Against Retail Staff: How Employers Can Protect Their Teams
Most customers are polite and friendly. But for many shop workers, being shouted at, threatened or even attacked has become part of the job. Abuse can leave staff anxious about coming to work, affect their sleep and confidence, and push good people out of retail altogether.
With the busy Christmas period ahead, when queues are longer and tempers can run high, now is a good time to review how you protect and support your teams. This guide is for retail owners, store managers, HR teams and loss prevention leads. It covers the scale of the problem, the law, and the practical steps you can take before, during and after an incident.
Abuse against retail staff in numbers
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) Crime Report, published in February 2026, found that:
There were around 1,600 incidents of violence and abuse against retail staff every day in the previous year
That’s down from around 2,000 a day the year before, but still far higher than the 455 a day recorded before the pandemic
Around 118 incidents a day involved physical violence, a figure that has barely changed
Only 13% of retailers rated the police response to retail crime as good or excellent
Behind every one of these figures is a member of staff who may carry the experience home with them.
The law on assaulting retail workers
England and Wales
The Crime and Policing Act 2026, which received Royal Assent in April 2026, creates a new specific offence of assaulting a retail worker. Once it comes into force, it will:
Make assaulting a retail worker at work a specific criminal offence
Carry a maximum penalty of six months’ imprisonment, an unlimited fine, or both
Create a presumption that courts will impose a Criminal Behaviour Order on people convicted, which can ban them from specific shops or areas
At the time of writing, the offence hasn’t yet come into force. Keep an eye on GOV.UK for the date it takes effect.
Scotland
Scotland already has a specific offence. The Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-restricted Goods and Services) (Scotland) Act 2021 makes it an offence to assault, threaten or abuse a retail worker.
Your duty as an employer
Whatever the criminal law says, employers have a duty to assess and reduce risks to their staff’s health and safety, including the risk of violence at work. That means taking practical steps to prevent incidents and supporting staff when they happen.
How abuse affects retail staff
Even verbal abuse can have a lasting impact. After an incident, staff may experience:
Anxiety or fear about returning to work, especially on the same shift or till
Replaying the incident, trouble sleeping or feeling on edge
Feeling embarrassed, angry or let down
Losing confidence in dealing with customers
Physical injuries, after a violent incident
Wanting to leave the job or the industry altogether
Repeated incidents can build up over time, leading to stress, low mood and burnout. Some staff, particularly younger or newer team members, may not report what’s happened if they think nothing will be done. Our guide to mental health in retail covers the wider pressures shop workers face.
Practical steps to prevent abuse
Assess the risks
Identify when and where incidents are most likely, such as age-restricted sales, refunds, late shifts or busy periods
Involve staff in the risk assessment, as they know where the flashpoints are
Review the assessment after any incident and before peak trading
Train your teams
Give staff conflict resolution and de-escalation training
Make sure everyone knows when to step away and call for help
Be clear that staff should never put themselves at risk to stop a theft
Make stores safer
Avoid leaving people to work alone, especially at opening, closing and late at night
Use CCTV, body-worn cameras, radios or panic alarms where appropriate
Display clear messages that abuse of staff won’t be tolerated
Plan for peak season
Increase staffing at busy times so queues don’t build up
Brief teams on how to handle common triggers, such as stock shortages or returns
Make sure managers on every shift know how to respond to an incident
Our guide to supporting retail staff over peak seasonhas more tips for the Christmas period.
Supporting staff after an incident
How you respond in the hours and days after an incident can make a big difference to how quickly someone recovers.
Straight away
Make sure the employee is safe and check for injuries
Give them a break away from the shop floor
Don’t ask them to go straight back to the till
In the following days
Check in with them personally, and keep checking in
Ask what would help, such as a change of shift, a different role for a while or working alongside a colleague
Keep them updated on any police or internal action
Encourage reporting
Make reporting quick and simple, and record every incident, including verbal abuse
Report incidents to the police and support staff through the process
Show staff that their reports lead to action, so they keep reporting
Offer professional support
Some people recover quickly. Others need more help, especially after a violent or frightening incident. Make sure staff know they can access confidential support, and don’t wait for them to ask.
How an EAP helps retailers support their teams
An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) gives your staff confidential support whenever they need it, including after an incident. With Wisdom Wellbeing, your teams can access:
A 24/7 confidential helpline, available whatever shift they work
Short-term structured counselling with qualified counsellors
Critical incident support after violent or traumatic events
Manager support and guidance on handling incidents and difficult conversations
The Wisdom app, with self-help tools and wellbeing content
Legal and financial information
Find out more about our EAP and wellbeing support for retail.
FAQs
How common is abuse against retail staff?
The British Retail Consortium’s 2026 Crime Report found around 1,600 incidents of violence and abuse against retail staff every day. Around 118 a day involved physical violence.
Is assaulting a retail worker a criminal offence?
Assault is already a crime. The Crime and Policing Act 2026 creates a specific offence of assaulting a retail worker in England and Wales once it comes into force. Scotland introduced a similar offence in 2021.
What should a manager do after a member of staff is abused?
Make sure they’re safe, give them time away from the shop floor and check in over the following days. Record the incident, report it to the police and make sure they know how to access confidential support.
How can retailers reduce abuse during the Christmas rush?
Increase staffing at busy times, avoid lone working, train staff in de-escalation and brief teams on common triggers. Make sure every shift has a manager who knows how to respond to an incident.
How does an EAP help retail staff after an incident?
An EAP gives staff confidential, 24/7 access to counselling and critical incident support, so they can talk through what happened and get help to recover. It also gives managers guidance on how to support their team.
Sources
Full Fact, Has the government introduced a new offence of assault on shopworkers?
Wisdom Wellbeing
Wisdom Wellbeing provides clinically led Employee Assistance Programmes to organisations across the UK and Ireland. Specialising in mental health and wellbeing, we publish practical guidance for employees, employers and business owners, including articles written by our counsellors to offer expertise from a clinical perspective. We also write for students at college and university who want to improve and maintain their mental wellbeing.
Support your employees with an EAP
With an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) from Wisdom Wellbeing, we can offer you practical advice and support when it comes to dealing with workplace stress and anxiety issues.
Our EAP service provides guidance and supports your employees with their mental health in the workplace and at home. We can help you create a safe, productive workspace that supports all.
