The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has published a new guide to help retailers with changes to laws that are coming in this Friday (30 October).
From that date, employers will have to ensure they’ve taken ‘all reasonable steps’ to prevent harassment of colleagues from ‘third parties’ - for example customers in store.
Harassment is defined as unwanted behaviour that violates someone’s dignity, or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for them.
Certain interactions
In a convenience store, the above be the result of certain interactions with customers. Abuse often occurs in stores when encountering shop thieves, verifying age or refusing to serve a customer because they’re either underage or intoxicated.
The new ACS guidance sets out what retailers need to do now to ensure they’ve got record of the reasonable steps they have in place to prevent harassment in the workplace. This includes risk assessments, checking reporting procedures, updating notices in store to say abuse won’t be tolerated, and making sure any CCTV and additional security systems are operational and up to date.
The ACS is also supporting retailers with in-store messaging on respect for retailers and colleagues through the ShopKind campaign. It has new materials available to download and use in-store ahead of ShopKind Week, taking place from 9 November. If you’d like to utilise the materials, they’re all available on the National Business Crime Centre website here.
As part of ACS’ support for members, there is also 30 minutes of free legal advice available for anyone with further concern about the changes. To find out more about the helpline, contact Jordan.newfield@acs.org.uk
The new ACS guidance is available in full here.
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