{
  "id": 16223633,
  "title": "Nearly half of retail workers say they were abused by customers in the past year—and more than 1 in 5 have skipped shifts to stay safe",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/23/nearly-half-of-retail-workers-say-they-were-abused-by-customers-in",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-23T20:06:26.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fortune",
    "slug": "fortune",
    "url": "https://fortune.com/2026/10/23/nearly-half-of-retail-workers-say-they-were-abused-by-customers-in-the-past-year/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "According to a new survey commissioned by Halos, a workplace-safety technology company, nearly half (48%) of frontline retail workers have experienced customer abuse in the past year. Verbal abuse was the most common form, with 34% of respondents enduring shouting or swearing. Threats or intimidation were reported by 17% of workers. Discriminatory comments or abuse affected 16% of respondents, while physical aggression was experienced by 10%. When asked about measures to improve their safety, 52% of retail workers prioritized clear consequences such as banning or removing customers, with 44% emphasizing clear support from management when enforcing policies or refusing service. The survey aligns with findings from the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, which reported that 57% of its members had experienced verbal harassment or intimidating behavior from customers, coworkers, or managers in the past year. In a separate 2025 Harris Poll survey conducted for Verkada and the Loss Prevention Research Council, 35% of retail workers reported feeling unsafe at work, an increase from 27% in 2024. The survey also revealed that 61% of retail workers believed their employers prioritized inventory safety over worker safety.",
  "summary": "Many retail workers also say they think their employers placed a higher priority on inventory safety than worker safety.",
  "key_points": [
    "Nearly half (48%) of retail workers experienced customer abuse in the past year.",
    "Verbal abuse was the most common form, with 34% enduring shouting or swearing.",
    "52% of workers prioritized clear consequences like banning or removing abusive customers."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}