Be kind this Christmas, say shop workers after spike in abuse during pandemic

Shop workers have told their stories of being abused and assaulted in a new video as part of this week’s #KeepingChristmasKind campaign. Shop workers who faced abuse and threats even as they worked on the front line during the pandemic have a simple plea: “Be kind to us this Christmas.” Sammie, 32, has worked for the Co-op for 13 years and says violence and anti-social behaviour have spiked during the year of Covid-19. She told the PA news agency: “Some shoppers seem to blame us, the shop worker, and take it out on us if they have to follow Government guidance and social distance. “We never know when they are going to lash out at us – and it takes a mental toll on us. It impacts your home-life and mental well-being.”