Report on Violence & Abuse towards Retail Workers

This important inquiry was launched in December 2020, in response to reports of escalating violence and verbal abuse towards retail workers – even more so during the pandemic.
This is the report from the first session 2021-2022.
It’s summary concludes:
“Violence and abuse towards retail workers is a complex issue and any meaningful solution will involve a package of measures from Government, the police, employers, retail workers and the public. However, we found that the patchwork of existing offences for prosecuting incidents of violence and abuse against individuals is not adequate to address the escalating scale of offences.
The Government should consult urgently on the scope of a new standalone offence. A clear message must be sent that nobody should feel unsafe at work.”
You can read the full report
Soon after the release of the report, 100 of the UK’s leading retailers have signed a letter to the Prime Minister urging him to “support an amendment to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill that would tackle escalating violence and abuse against retail workers.”
Download the PDF here