Shoppers across Sunraysia and the Mallee are being urged to check themselves before they reach the checkout, following shocking new research.
It reveals nearly 9 in 10 of the nation’s retail and fast-food workers (88%) have been verbally abused in the past twelve months, with 1 in 4 subjected to physical violence (25%).
The alarming figures have renewed calls for the use of Workplace Protection Orders to ban repeat offenders from stores.
WPOs, which operate like AVOs, have proved a success in reducing retail crime in the ACT are about to be introduced in South Australia and Western Australia.
SDA National Secretary Gerard Dwyer said with the busy festive shopping season upon us, shoppers are being urged not to take their frustrations out on local workers.
“These alarming findings point to the urgent need for the introduction of Workplace Protection Orders to ban repeat offenders from stores,” said Mr Dwyer.
Key findings from the survey of almost 3,000 workers found that in the past 12 months:
• 34% of members say they do not feel safe in their workplace
• 88% have experienced verbal abuse
• 25% have experienced physical violence (up from 12.5% in 2023)
• 19% have experienced sexual harassment
• 11% have experience online abuse
• 10% have been spat on
• 31% have experienced ethnicity/race/cultural background-related abuse or harassment (up from 24% in 2023)
• 59% have been abused by the same customer more than once
