Staff who deal daily with the public seen as fair game for attacks

Published on Saturday 8 May 2010 20:09

THEY all do jobs that bring them into daily contact with the public. But, according to new government research, some are seen as "legitimate targets" for abuse by those they are trying to serve.

Airport workers, traffic wardens, club bouncers, front-line civil servants and call centre staff are all considered fair game for verbal attacks by members of the public, the research says.

Police officers and doctors' receptionists can also be subjected to a tongue-lashing, while firefighters, ambulance crews and nurses should not. Also off limits are bar and restaurant workers.

These are the surprising findings published in a new guide produced for the government for "public-facing" workers, aimed at helping them avoid attacks from the public and giving advice on what to do if they become victims of verbal or physical abuse.

The guide has been created by Healthy Working Lives Scotland, which advises the government on health and safety issues, and is being made available to thousands of workers who deal with the public.

The guide, backed by NHS Scotland and the Scottish Trades Union Congress, claims that one in ten public-facing workers are physically assaulted each year, with 38 per cent verbally abused. The problem also appears to be growing, with the guide claiming that attacks on local government workers increased by 3,000 between 2007 and 2008.

It says: "Disturbingly, research carried out demonstrated that the public regard some public-facing workers as legitimate targets, believing this 'goes with the job'.

"The impact of being on the receiving end of repeated insults and verbal abuse can be as significant as being physically assaulted, and can contribute to long-term health problems such as stress and depression."

The research highlighted 18 professions and asked members of the public to put them on a scale from "deserving" to "undeserving" when it came to the legitimacy of attacks.

Those who topped the "deserving" list were nightclub bouncers, with traffic wardens and cold-callers not far behind. Doctors' receptionists came next, with police, call centre staff and frontline civil servants also included.

Airport staff should also expect abuse from the public, researchers found, which was borne out by the angry scenes at some airports during the recent volcanic ash cloud crisis.

Topping the list of those the public think should never face abuse are ambulance crews, paramedics and firefighters, with barmen and fast food restaurant staff just behind them. Staff at supermarket checkouts and corner shops come next, followed by nurses and railway staff. Bus drivers and taxi drivers were on the borderline.

Those considered undeserving of abuse were ranked in that category for various reasons. For example, bar staff and restaurant workers were thought to be undeserving because of their low-paid status.

Kathy Jenkins, secretary of the Scottish Hazards Campaign, which helped formulate the new guide, said: "We have to start looking at the reasons why some public-facing workers are facing increased levels of aggression from the public.

"Our campaign is about getting people home at the end of their working day safe and well. To do that, sometimes employers have to change the way we work."

Jenkins said that while attacks on workers are never acceptable, sometimes aggression from members of the public comes from genuine feelings of powerlessness or frustration. "If we can limit that, life is better for everyone concerned.

"For example, if call centre staff are encouraged by employers to keep on talking to people when they are clearly not interested, that behaviour is more likely to engender an aggressive response. It would be better for all concerned if call centre staff were given the power to end a call if it is causing frustration for the customer.

"It is all about creating new ways of working that take account of how members of the public might react. It's a win-win situation for workers if service users are listened to and have their views taken into account, as they are less likely to react in an aggressive manner."

Traffic wardens and parking attendants, another group the public sees as "deserving" of abuse, agree that life on the frontline can be dangerous, with angry motorists often resorting to physical and verbal abuse.

According to NSL, the private firm which provides attendants for Edinburgh City Council, there were 108 physical and verbal attacks in the 12 months to November last year.

Spokesman Tim Cowen said: "As far as we are concerned, one assault is one too many, and nobody should have to put up with that simply because of the job they do.

"In the past, understandably, many of our on-street team may have been reluctant to report more minor incidents of verbal abuse – but we believe every incident should be reported so we can get a true picture and take action where necessary.

"We have also signed a partnership deal with Lothian and Borders Police this year, and the police have pledged greater support for us in terms of reducing assaults."