More than 100 business leaders have urged the government to make the assault of any public-facing worker, from transport staff to call centre agents, a standalone offence.
The Institute of Customer Service, a professional body, has reported a big rise in abusive incidents aimed at employees and says many are considering leaving their jobs.
The Crime and Policing Bill, which is moving through Parliament, has proposed making assault of a retail worker a new specific offence in England and Wales. But bosses, including the CEOs of Nationwide and DPD, want the law to go further and cover all sectors to act as a deterrent.
The Home Office said it backs police to “use their full range of powers”.
“It is a criminal offence to assault or threaten someone and we back the police to use their full range of powers to protect the public,” a Home Office spokesperson told the BBC.
Pointing to the Crime and Policing Bill, they added: “Abuse faced by retail workers has risen sharply and consistently over the past few years and our new offence will provide the legal clarity needed to prosecute this vile crime effectively.”
Around 60% of the UK’s workforce are in some form of customer-facing role across sectors such as retail, transport and hospitality, according to the Institute.
In its survey, 43% of customer-facing workers questioned said they have experienced customer hostility over the past six months – a 20% rise on the year before.
It also found 37% of customer service workers are considering leaving their jobs due to aggressive customer behaviour, with 26% taking time off work as a result of abuse.
“The government must act now to enshrine vital protections for all our service workers; without action now to create a strong deterrent, this problem will continue to grow,” the open letter, published earlier this month, said.
Currently, an amendment to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 created an aggravating factor when an assault is committed against a person who is providing a public service, performing a public duty, or providing services to the public.
Business leaders say that with the high level of public-facing workers reporting abuse and assault, a stronger deterrent is needed.
The standalone offence of assaulting a retail worker proposed under the Crime and Policing Bill will have a maximum penalty of six months in prison and/or an unlimited fine. Upon first conviction, there is also a presumption on the courts to impose a criminal behaviour order (CBO), which could bar offenders from visiting the affected premises.
The government says the bespoke offence will send a clear signal that assaults on retail workers are unacceptable and will ensure assaults on retail workers are separately recorded so the true scale of the problem is known.
The BBC understands the definition of retail worker is intentionally narrow to ensure there is no confusion for courts, and people working in other sectors will be covered by other general legislation for assault offences.
One sector that has seen a rise in assaults and abuse of staff is the transport industry, with the Rail Delivery Group saying more needs to be done to protect those working on railways.
LNER train manager Phil Banks encountered an aggressive passenger on a train last year whilst doing ticket checks.
“It’s not nice to be faced with something like that… you’ve got to try and keep yourself calm which can be difficult when faced with that hostility,” he told BBC News.
“If people are being faced with such hostility on a day-to-day basis, I can understand why they would consider looking for something which is less public-facing. You shouldn’t have to put up with any kind of abuse.”