Jane, 51, is a checkout supervisor for a supermarket in Flintshire. Jane experiences threats, name-calling and physical abuse from customers which causes her to feel anxious about going to work.
“Abuse has become part of the job, and one of the main triggers is when we ask for proof of age to buy alcohol, tobacco or energy drinks. During the pandemic, when I was trying to keep colleagues and customers safe with social distancing, a lady in her mid-80s called me a ‘f***ing bossy bitch’.
“On many occasions I’ve had things thrown at me, been called names, and been threatened. On one occasion, I refused to serve an energy drink to a young person and a group of them said they were going to wait outside for me after work.
“I’ve been called ‘useless’ at my job and been told to go and get a proper job. As a supervisor, I’m generally the person called to any difficult situation, so myself and my colleagues in this role tend to face a large amount of abuse. It’s certainly made me feel anxious going to work, and it makes me angry that people think it’s acceptable to speak to anyone in that way. We’re just trying to earn a living.”
Would you put up with this?
Let’s respect retail and stop the intolerance epidemic.
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