How safe are Woolworths workers? Shocking number of violent incidents spark major changes
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Woolworths workers often face the brunt of customer frustration, but a disturbing new figure revealed the true scale of violence they endure.
Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci unveiled to shareholders that over 3,000 acts of violence, threats and abuse against staff were reported in the past twelve months.
‘To be honest, it just feels like a dissonance in society,’ the executive said. ‘We accept that people are under pressure, but respect is fundamental.’
In response to the threats and violence, the company has been placing additional measures to protect its staff.
The CEO announced that Woolworths is investing in CCTV upgrades, two-way radio headsets and virtual reality violence and aggression training. The retailer is also working closely with the government to advocate legislative changes to protect retail workers.
Additionally, they partnered with Sonder, a non-profit organisation that provides health and support services, to provide their employees with unlimited access to health professionals and resources for safety and well-being support.
Mr Banducci admitted that they are uncomfortable taking this step.
‘It's our grand obsession to do everything for our customers—so to ask our customers to treat us with respect is something that has taken us a long time to say because of the DNA of Woolworths, but unfortunately, we feel compelled at this point,’ he explained.
Earlier this year, footage of a customer violently lashing out at a Woolworths employee made its rounds on social media. A female customer has been banned from the store in Leanyer, Darwin and reported to the police after physically and verbally attacking a supermarket staff.
You can read more about that story here.
Mr Banducci also paid tribute to the two employees who lost their lives in accidents during 2022-2023.
One of them was a contractor cleaner who passed away while operating a cleaning machine in Newcastle in November, and the other employee was a warehouse staff who passed away while engaging in equipment at a Woolworths distribution centre in Sydney last June.
‘We are fully co-operating with SafeWork New South Wales to ensure a thorough review is completed with no stone left unturned,’ the CEO assured.
Last Wednesday, October 25, Woolworths Group reported that the sales for the 14 weeks to October 1 have increased by 5.3 per cent, which amounts to $17.2 billion. The increase was reported to be driven by the supermarket business.
BIG W sales fell by 5.5 per cent compared to last year, but there’s an improvement in the latter part of the quarter.
‘While customers continue to be cautious and are trading down within categories, we are seeing solid growth in summer clothing and in opening price point products that offer real value,’ Mr Banducci said.
He also added that the Christmas trading period would be the key in determining the business’ success in the second half of the year.
What are your thoughts on this, members? Share them in the comments below!
Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci unveiled to shareholders that over 3,000 acts of violence, threats and abuse against staff were reported in the past twelve months.
‘To be honest, it just feels like a dissonance in society,’ the executive said. ‘We accept that people are under pressure, but respect is fundamental.’
In response to the threats and violence, the company has been placing additional measures to protect its staff.
Woolworths is implementing additional security measures following more than 3,000 reported acts of violence, threats and abuse against its staff over the past year. Credit: Shutterstock
The CEO announced that Woolworths is investing in CCTV upgrades, two-way radio headsets and virtual reality violence and aggression training. The retailer is also working closely with the government to advocate legislative changes to protect retail workers.
Additionally, they partnered with Sonder, a non-profit organisation that provides health and support services, to provide their employees with unlimited access to health professionals and resources for safety and well-being support.
Mr Banducci admitted that they are uncomfortable taking this step.
‘It's our grand obsession to do everything for our customers—so to ask our customers to treat us with respect is something that has taken us a long time to say because of the DNA of Woolworths, but unfortunately, we feel compelled at this point,’ he explained.
Earlier this year, footage of a customer violently lashing out at a Woolworths employee made its rounds on social media. A female customer has been banned from the store in Leanyer, Darwin and reported to the police after physically and verbally attacking a supermarket staff.
You can read more about that story here.
Mr Banducci also paid tribute to the two employees who lost their lives in accidents during 2022-2023.
One of them was a contractor cleaner who passed away while operating a cleaning machine in Newcastle in November, and the other employee was a warehouse staff who passed away while engaging in equipment at a Woolworths distribution centre in Sydney last June.
‘We are fully co-operating with SafeWork New South Wales to ensure a thorough review is completed with no stone left unturned,’ the CEO assured.
Last Wednesday, October 25, Woolworths Group reported that the sales for the 14 weeks to October 1 have increased by 5.3 per cent, which amounts to $17.2 billion. The increase was reported to be driven by the supermarket business.
BIG W sales fell by 5.5 per cent compared to last year, but there’s an improvement in the latter part of the quarter.
‘While customers continue to be cautious and are trading down within categories, we are seeing solid growth in summer clothing and in opening price point products that offer real value,’ Mr Banducci said.
He also added that the Christmas trading period would be the key in determining the business’ success in the second half of the year.
What are your thoughts on this, members? Share them in the comments below!
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