I don't feel safe at work and I'm anxious about quitting.

Hi! I work at a retail discount store. It's a my first ever paid employment and I've just concluded my 3rd week. A customer during my first week verbally assaulted me while I was working at the till. He was not initially my customer but my colleague brought him over to my till because she was having problems with hers and I hadn't noticed (I was preoccupied with some items I wanted to put back on the shelf) and as I was leaving he shouted at me calling me rude and all sorts. His abused then became racially and religiously charged (I'm a Muslim female and wear a headscarf).*

He is a regular and today as I was doing the pricing he walked by me and gave me dirty looks. He seems to be around 60 but he is tall. My colleagues have also informed me that he is not mentally stable which I had noticed because he is always muttering things.*

Quite frankly I'm afraid (particularly with the rise of Islamophobia and his extremely visible anger) that he may attack me at work and I don't want to take any risks, hence wanting to quit. What should I do?

Reply 1

999tigger

Original post by Anonymous

Inform your manager.

If you want the easy way out just write them a shirt resignation letter and serve your notice. Before a month you dont have to give any, unless agreed in any contract.

Trouble is you lose your job. Will you find it easy to get a new one? there will be plenty of Christmas jobs?

If you take it up with your manager or HR, they have it on CCTV then make them aware of the abuse and you feel uncomfy with that customer and maybe they can make sure someone else serves or they cna ban them.

If you still feel unsafe, then just give them a quick resignation letter.

Reply 2

SCIENCE :D

Is their security at your place of work?

Reply 3

Anonymous #1

Original post by 999tigger

*

Unfortunately I've struggled for over a year to secure employment after graduating university. I was very happy to start working and earning but I can't work knowing he'll walk in any minute. He*seems hostile and very unpredictable. I will talk to my manager and see what can be done in terms of making me feel safe at work and if it's not satisfactory I will quit.*

Reply 4

Anonymous #1

Original post by SCIENCE :D

Is their security at your place of work?

No security, unfortunately!

Reply 5

999tigger

Original post by Anonymous

Depending on your company and you, then if not satisfued you can report it to HR

Give Suzy Lamplugh a ring

https://www.suzylamplugh.org/FAQs/safety-at-work-leaflets

https://worksmart.org.uk/health-advice/illnesses-and-injuries/violence-and-bullying/violence/i-dont-feel-safe-work-what-can-i
.

Reply 6

doodle_333

Honestly I think it's very unlikely he will actually do anything and my guess is that if he tried your colleagues would back you up so you wouldn't be in much danger. I did retail for a while and there were some hideously nasty people who would scream and yell at you (I know it probably feels even with with the islamophobia issues) but that was often as they knew they could get away with it - they knew they couldn't get away with a physical attack. I was sort of attacked while at work once (some guy who was off his face grabbed me and started trying to kiss me) and honestly my colleagues had him out of the store in seconds. I would speak to your boss as it might be they can refuse him service if he does anything again or that you can go to a different part of the shop if he's seen but if you're struggling to find work it might be worth trying to wait it out.

Reply 7

Judge Jules

Original post by Anonymous

You can't leave a job just because of that because that situation can happen anywhere or in any job or with a work colleague or a manager.
Lots of people have experienced being sexually harrasssed or bullied at work in all these situations so it was worse for them so your situation is nothing compared to that.

So you just have to try to deal with it by trying to keep away from him if possible and talking to your manager to ask permission that if he is ever in the queue on the till you are serving at then to ask for a quick break so someone can take over until he is gone or you can call for an employee or the manager to stand by your till when ever he is there but to be honest with you they might be too busy so just pretend to be nice to him next time and see if that works. Don't approach him but if you are in a situation where you can't get away from him just pretend to be nice and try to talk to him by asking if he needs any help and being friendly as this may soften him up because he thought you were rude last time and did not understand that you did not do it deliberately. And if he sees that you are a nice person he might not be so prejudiced And if he is being rude and rascist it is your manager's job to speak to him about it because no customers are allowed to pysically or verbally abuse staff and should be given a warning first and if they do it again they will be asked to leave.

But at least he is an old man and not a young person but old people can still be rude too but not as threatening as a young person.
It took you long enough to find a job so you know it's not easy but you can ask your manager to be transferred to another branch or just sign up with several different agencies on the high street like Reed, etc but you have to sign up with a few because some of them are useless and don't get everyone jobs so i know so many people with degrees and they just gave up on agencies because they did'nt get them a job but they have no intelligence to understand they must sign up with several not just rely on one agency and to go to good agencies who will get them higher paid jobs like Reed or go to agencies in the city or west end as they find people better paid jobs so while you are still at your retail job it's good to stay there for as long as posdible for a reference until you are offered another job

so just type employment agencies on google in the area you live and it will show you lots of different agencies even in city area then you ring a few to start with for an appointment to visit them and let them find you a job and sign up with 2 or 3
You can even ask if there are any vacancies to work in the agency as you don't always need experience because most of them are willing to train people especially if they have a degree.

I understand why people work in retail and other low paid jobs while they are in uni because those jobs fit in with their uni hours but i will never understand why people don't just sign up with lots of different agencies when they leave uni to get a better paid job.
Retail pays **** money, i know because i did it working part time for BHS and Poundland and i would get home at 12 midnight sometimes.