1 In 5 Shop Staff Not Reporting Attacks

Union bosses say shop workers are 'suffering in silence' following reports 22% are not telling their employer about being violently attacked.

Over half of retail workers have been verbally abused in the last year, more than 1 in 10 on a weekly or daily basis.

According to figures released today, the number of attacks has reduced, but union bosses are still worried by what they're calling 'shockingly high' figures.

Black Friday - when hundreds of retailers slash their prices for a day in November - has been criticised for compromising staff safety.

John Hannett, Usdaw General Secretary, says: "All too often shopworkers encounter violence, threats and abuse for simply doing their job. So it is very concerning that one in five do not report something as serious as a violent attack to their employer.

"Anecdotally we are told that sometimes staff don’t feel it would make any difference if they do report incidents or that it’s just a part of being in a frontline job, dealing with the public and the problems that sometimes throws up.

"My message to shopworkers is very clear, abuse is not a part of the job. We are talking to employers to ensure that reporting systems are easily accessible and will make a real difference to the protection. However it is really important that staff do tell their manager when they experience violence, threats or abuse. If they report it we can help sort it."