Protecting your staff from violence and aggression

Recently reported in the news, as part of a government response to a wave of retail crime, assaulting a shop worker will be made a separate criminal offence in England and Wales. 

Earlier this year a report found that violent and abusive incidents against shop workers rose by 50% in 2022-23.
Violence and aggressive behaviour towards staff is not limited to shop workers and can affect anyone in the workplace.

What impact does this have on staff:

If they are subject to violence and aggressive behaviour the impact could include:

• Loss of confidence and being withdrawn

• Lead to harm to their physical and mental health

• Suffer from stress, depression and anxiety

• Result in an increase of sickness absence 

• May increase the likelihood of them leaving their job

What do you need to have in place:

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 places a legal duty for employers to so far as reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of workers which will include protecting them from work-related violence. 

You must ensure that you carry out a Risk Assessment and consider control measures for the following:

• Vulnerable workers

• Lone working

• Security measures

• Training / de-escalation techniques

Additional information can be found at the following:

Violence and aggression at work - HSE

Advice for workers on violence in the workplace (hse.gov.uk)

For more support on Managing violence and aggression in the workplace, contact our team.