The Violence and Aggression Research Network at the Thomas Ashton Institute has helped create new evidence-based guidance to assist retailers in preventing and handling work-related violence and aggression. Produced with the Retail Trust and researchers from Alliance Manchester Business School, the document titled Managing violence and aggression in retail offers practical steps for organizations to protect employees and enhance workplace safety. Work-related violence and aggression represent a rising issue in retail, where employees often face verbal abuse, threats, and physical incidents. Supporting studies indicate many events remain unreported, affecting staff well-being, security, and retention. Data from the Retail Trust’s Let’s Respect Retail campaign confirm the problem affects a large share of workers through abuse, stress, and anxiety. The guidance combines academic findings with sector knowledge to deliver adaptable methods for addressing these challenges. It emphasizes better reporting mechanisms to encourage incident disclosure, enhanced training and prevention measures, assistance for affected staff, and promotion of respectful and secure retail cultures. The network, based at the Thomas Ashton Institute, unites experts, officials, and partners to examine workplace violence patterns and create improved reporting, prevention, and response tactics. This effort demonstrates the value of cross-disciplinary research and partnerships in tackling complex employment issues. The institute continues to advance evidence-driven strategies for workplace health and safety across industries.
