A fifth (21%) of retail workers in Ireland experience abusive or inappropriate language or behaviour from the public weekly, according to research jointly commissioned by Circle K, Maxol and MrPRICE Branded Bargains.

Over two-thirds (68%) report experiencing abusive or inappropriate language or behaviour from a customer at work, but of the 500 retail workers who took part in the survey, 83% said the vast majority of customers are kind and respectful.  

The research also revealed a higher rate of abusive or inappropriate language or behaviour directed towards female staff members, with 75% of female respondents experiencing this behaviour, compared to 60% of male counterparts.  

Of retail staff in Ireland that report experiencing abusive or inappropriate language or behaviour while at work, 35% outlined that it was violent, aggressive or threatening in nature and 22% reported that it took the form of discriminatory language.  

The most common types of abusive or behaviours included foul language (76%), discriminatory language (38%), violent, aggressive or threatening behaviour (39%), and physical contact (12%).  

Additionally, almost three-quarters (74%) of retail staff in Ireland have seen or heard abusive or inappropriate language or behaviour directed towards a colleague at work.

Among retail staff that have seen or heard colleagues being abuse, 31% reported that it was regarding race or ethnicity, 27% gender, 22% age, 15% sexual orientation and 15% religion. 

Younger staff working in Irish retail settings (18-24 year-olds) report experiences of abusive or inappropriate language or behaviour most (78%), compared to staff aged over 55 who reported the lowest rate (28%). 

However, 86% of retail workers feel they would be supported by their employer if they experienced abusive or inappropriate language or behaviour from a member of the public. 

The research forms part of Kindness Week, a campaign designed to raise awareness of the issue of mistreatment of staff in retail but to also celebrate retail staff.

Circle K first launched Kindness Day to highlight unacceptable customer behaviour two years ago.

"In recent years we have seen an increase in unacceptable behaviour towards our teams which prompted Circle K Europe to launch a Kindness Day initiative two years ago," said Ciara Foxton, managing director of Circle K Ireland.

"We are proud to now stand alongside Maxol, and MrPRICE Branded Bargains to highlight this important issue in a week-long Kindness Week campaign. 

"We also use Kindness Week to acknowledge and thank the majority of our loyal customers who treat our teams with kindness and respect. It is also a great opportunity to celebrate our outstanding teams who serve our loyal customers each and every day."

This year, the initiative has been extended to a week-long campaign, with MrPRICE Branded Bargains and Maxol coming on board alongside Retail Ireland, which supported with the research.  

Arnold Dillon, director of Retail Ireland said: “Any level of harassment toward retail staff is an enormous concern.

"The survey highlighted some very serious issues, including incidence of physical assault and verbal abuse, that retail workers have had to contend with.

"The consequences for staff are very real, including mental health issues, burnout and increased absence. It is crucial that everything is done to make the sector an attractive place to work.

"Business, government and all of us individually have a part to play in supporting retail employees and together addressing the problem.”   

Brian Donaldson, CEO of Maxol, and Edel McSorley, operations director with MrPRICE Branded Bargains both said that the vast majority of customers engage with kindness and treat staff thoughtfully and supportively.

Separate research carried out among 791 members of staff with Circle K, Maxol and MrPRICE Branded Bargains, found that 58% have experienced inappropriate or abusive language or behaviour from customers.

Over half (57%) of staff across the three retailers have witnessed inappropriate or abusive language or behaviour directed towards a colleague. 

Of those that have experienced inappropriate or abusive language or behaviour, 35% said that it was violent, aggressive or threatening in nature and 28% reported that they have experienced discriminatory language.  

Two-thirds (64%) experienced colleagues being subjected to foul language, discriminatory language (44%), violent, aggressive or threatening behaviour (43%) and physical contact (14%). 

Photo: (l-r) Edel Kavanagh, Zeljka Starcevic and Ayush Kumar. (Pic: Supplied)