15 June 2020
Bira Legal has put together a guide for retailers concerned about the increased threat of violence and abuse towards them, following the outbreak of Covid-19.
Ellis Whittam -Bira's legal partner - has created the guide after a new survey indicated that violence and abuse of shop-workers has doubled in recent months.
The poll was carried out by the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW) to assess the impact of coronavirus.
According the report, shop workers have faced abuse while trying to enforce social distancing in shops. At the extreme end of the abuse, out of 5,000 shopworkers who responded to the survey, 196 have been physically assaulted.
Paddy Lillis, Usdaw General Secretary, said: "This is a scandal."
Bira Legal's guide includes advice on the range of measures retailers can follow to reduce the risk of violence towards employees, and how to diffuse difficult situations.
Andrew Goodacre, Bira's CEO, said: "These findings are very worrying and more must be done to protect retailers and their staff from the threat of violence and abuse."
To read Bira Legal's full guide click the button below.