Retail & Hospitality Report

RETAIL & HOSPITALITY REPORT

Our landmark study into perceptions of personal safety at work has revealed that 6.8 million workers worry about their safety each week, while most employers (57%) continue to underestimate the level of concern amongst staff.

57% of employees have concerns about facing aggression from customers at work, while one in four worry about their general workplace safety at least once a week. This sentiment is particularly prevalent across the retail and hospitality sectors where the majority of staff are in public-facing roles.

6.8 million employees worry about their safety as they work or while commuting

57% of employers underestimate the level of safety concern among staff

21% of employees worry about their workplace safety at least once a week

RETAIL AND HOSPITALITY SECTORS HAVE THE BIGGEST SAFETY CONCERNS

Percentage of employees by sector concerned about their safety at least once a week

Risk has become part of the job description for retail and hospitality staff. Although the industry is not typically labelled a ‘dangerous’ profession, violence and abuse against retail workers is nothing new. Since the pandemic, the evidence demonstrates an increase in incidents and our study has revealed that retail and hospitality workers think about their safety more than any other sector, with 27% thinking about it at least once a week.

There are instances where employees will be working in isolation or out of earshot of colleagues, making them more vulnerable to attack. Workers responsible for opening and closing stores may be particularly at risk, along with those responsible for handling cash and banking. In this type of situation, retail stores are often not equipped with the means for staff to call for help and fixed panic alarms may not be accessible.