How HR can ensure retail employees’ safety

On February 14, a TikTok user posted a video from behind a counter in her workplace, where she explains that she is hiding from three men who have been loitering in and around the store, where she was working alone. In a follow-up video, she shared that they made her feel so uncomfortable that when it was time to close the business for the night, she called security to escort her to her car.

This worker is not alone. TikTok is filled with posts about similar experiences. Around nine in 10 (89.7%) of the 1,063 US customer service workers surveyed in October 2023 by telecom company Ringover said they had experienced an increase in customer abuse (including swearing, yelling, or threats of violence) over the last year. Some 84.5% of those employees said they were looking for a new job as a result.

It is an employer’s responsibility to provide employees with a safe work environment. Doing so can give employees a sense of security, and make them more likely stay with their employer. HR can play a role in ensuring that happens.

Step one: Assess the situation. Employers should examine the safety procedures they have in place to identify vulnerabilities, Theresa Adams, senior HR knowledge advisor at the Society for Human Resource Management, said. This may include performing assessments to identify potential risks, according to ADP, as well as regularly discussing with employees their safety concerns.

HR should also conduct this assessment in the context of the area in which their business operates.

“Are [the employees] working with money? Is it a high crime area?” Adams said. “Doing an analysis of the external factors in the location that they’re at, and coming up with safety and security measures based on those items is a huge thing.”

HR in industries like retail, where employees may work at night and alone, should do an assessment every few years, she said.

Step two: Take action. Depending on the vulnerabilities identified, there are a few strategies HR can use to support employees. They may include developing training to prepare employees to handle a robbery, identify suspicious activities, and de-escalate conflicts, Adams said.

“Being trained on conflict resolution can help de-escalate issues that employees have with customers,” she said. “So, not only is it a good customer service skill, but it’s also part of a safety plan.”

To deter robberies, Adams said, HR may consider limiting the amount of cash on hand in a store, securing money in drop boxes, and posting signs that make clear that employees do not have access to cash.

Discreetly placed panic buttons can also help ease employees’ minds. (The New York State Assembly recently passed a bill, called the Retail Worker Safety Act, that would require retailers with more than 50 workers to install panic buttons in their stores.)

Another step employers can take is to ensure nobody is closing the business alone, Adams said. Implementing a buddy system, in which employees leave or even carpool together, can be a critical safety step, especially for women, she added.

HR can also work with other businesses in the area to develop a plan in which employees can connect with and support each other, Adams said.

“It’s a great idea for them to work together as a group and watch out for each other, and it’s something that’s really doable, believe it or not,” Adams said. “And that can save money for those smaller mom-and-pop stores.”