New recommendations after an ILO technical meeting call on relevant actors to take 'appropriate action' to address violence in retail workplaces
Employer groups and unions should lead the charge in preventing and addressing violence and harassment, including customer abuse, in retail workplaces, according to a set of conclusions agreed upon in a recent International Labour Organization (ILO) technical meeting.
The technical meeting, which was held in Geneva from 28 September to 2 October, convened representatives of governments, employers, and workers to adopt conclusions that can strengthen occupational safety and health (OSH) in the retail sector.
The representatives have agreed to recommend that employers' and workers' organisations should, as appropriate to their responsibility and capacity, support their members in preventing and addressing violence and harassment in retail.
This includes third-party violence and harassment, as well as their associated psychosocial risks, the conclusions read, adding that forms of support could include practical guidance, reporting, and support mechanisms.
The representatives also agreed that employers' and workers' organisations should "contribute to building a society in which customers and workers alike are treated with dignity and respect."
Crime, workplace violence in retail
The findings come amid widespread reports of workplace violence in the retail sector, with workers facing abuse and threats from customers and offenders.'
In Australia, data from retailers using crime reporting platform Auror showed a 66% year-on-year increase in retail crime involving weapons in 2024, alongside a spike in violent and threatening events.
In New Zealand, Retail NZ data shows that 99% of respondents to its survey, representing more than 1,500 stores, experienced some form of retail crime or anti-social behaviour, totalling 140,746 incidents, in 2023-24.
In Singapore, data from the Singapore Police Force showed that shop theft cases rose 2.2% to 2,095 in the first half of 2026, from 2,050 in the same period last year.
In Canada, more than three in four of retailers (76.2%) have reported increased violence during theft incidents, prompting the Retail Council of Canada to call it a "national crisis" that impacts profitability, employee safety, and trust.
In the United States, the National Retail Federation there said retailers are reporting "increasing frequency" of events like homelessness-related incidents and guest-related violence, with other violence-related incidents remaining at high levels of risk.
The representatives at the ILO's technical meeting have agreed that violence and harassment and associated psychosocial risks are "important considerations" for national frameworks and OSH management in retail.
"Customer interactions, retail crime, lone, or late-night work, cash handling, delivery and online communications may expose workers to harm," the ILO document read.
Technology can support prevention, emergency response, and reporting, but it can also create or facilitate new forms of violence, harassment or other OSH risks that will require safeguards.
"Preventing violence and harassment requires appropriate action by relevant actors within their respective responsibilities and efforts to promote dignity and respect in interactions between customers and retail employers and workers," the ILO document read.
The conclusions and recommendations from the ILO technical meeting will be submitted to the 359th Session of the Governing Body of the ILO in March 2027 for consideration.
