"Yet the BRC's most recent retail crime survey showed that incidents of violence and abuse have risen to over 2,000 incidents every day, and incidents tend to spike at Christmas. Incidents, which can include everything from threats with weapons and physical assaults to racial slurs, take a severe toll on the physical and mental health of victims, who return to work day after day wondering whether they will be targeted again."
"And it's not just those working in stores: delivery drivers also face abuse and physical violence in their day to day. With up to a third of all retail sales being made online in the run up to Christmas, delivery drivers will be busier, and more exposed than ever. A recent Usdaw survey showed that in the last twelve months, more than three quarters of delivery drivers had been a victim of abuse, and over one in ten had been assaulted."
"The welcome implementation of the Crime and Policing Bill is edging closer and retailers hope that it will play a vital role in granting additional legal protections for retail workers by introducing a standalone offence for assaulting a retail worker. This would increase sentencing, stiffen deterrents, and improve the visibility of violence against retail workers so that police can allocate the necessary resources to tackle this blight."
Retail workplaces and delivery operations face heightened risk during the Christmas period as stores become busiest. Incidents of violence and abuse exceed 2,000 per day and tend to spike at Christmas. Abuse includes threats with weapons, physical assaults, and racial slurs, causing severe physical and mental harm to victims. Delivery drivers are particularly exposed with up to a third of sales online and surveys showing over three quarters suffering abuse and more than one in ten assaulted. The Crime and Policing Bill aims to create a standalone offence for assaulting retail workers, increase sentencing, and improve policing responses, while uncertainty remains about coverage of all customer-facing roles.
Read at London Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com
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