Retail workers report feeling unsafe following incident
Two workers were assaulted at a 7-Eleven store in broad daylight recently, according to a CBC report.
At this time, specifics about the attack – such as the identities of the victims, the nature of their injuries, or whether any arrests have been made – have not been disclosed publicly. B.C.'s public safety minister has also not issued a statement in response to the incident, according to the report.
Simon Coutts, the owner of Simon’s Bike Shop located across the street from the 7-Eleven, said the attack underscores the risks faced by those working in retail and food service in the area.
"Every single day, there's something that happens," Coutts said, according to CBC. "If you come to work every day and you're in fear that something's going to happen, it's not fun."
Rising safety concern for retail workers
According to Vancouver Police Department statistics, theft rates in the city have risen over the past three years, CBC reported. In 2023, the theft rate per 1,000 people reached 17.3, an 11% increase from 2022, though still below the 2019 rate of 18.9 per 1,000 people.
Statistics Canada's crime severity index shows that while violent crime has been trending upward in British Columbia over the past decade, but this trend is not reflected in Vancouver and Surrey, according to CBC’s report.
In Vancouver, the violent crime index has fluctuated and, as of 2023, is 6 per cent lower than a decade earlier. Surrey has seen a steady decline in violent crime since 2019, with rates 27 per cent lower in 2023 than 10 years prior.
"Employees shouldn't have to come to work in fear," he said. "It should be a little bit safer."
Patrick Johnson, president of the United Food & Commercial Workers International Union 1518 (UFCW 1518), also said members have noticed a significant change in customer behavior following the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Coming out of the pandemic … there was quite a bit of frustration with some of the new processes, like [wearing] masks,” Johnson told CBC. “[People] took that out on retail workers, and that lack of respect actually became normalized.”
Johnson urged employers to take proactive steps to protect retail staff, including increasing staffing levels, especially during evening shifts, and implementing stricter policies to handle abusive customers.
“When there are more workers around, when there are more staff around, it is safer,” Johnson said. He also stressed the importance of ensuring employees feel empowered to report abuse and preventing repeat offenders from returning.
“The idea that the customer is always right is not the case when the customer is repeatedly not respecting me,” Johnson added.
