The festive season is one of the busiest and most demanding times of the year for retail, hospitality, transport, logistics and other customer-facing businesses. Extra customers, increased workloads, seasonal staff and tighter deadlines can all create additional health and safety risks.
This year, there is an added reason to focus on worker wellbeing. The recent ShopCare National Customer Aggression Survey found that 91% of frontline workers experienced customer aggression in the past 12 months. The survey also found that 64% of workers believe de-escalation and customer aggression training is one of the most effective actions employers can take. Review the survey report here.
As businesses prepare for the Christmas rush, now is the time to take steps to keep workers safe, supported and ready for the season ahead.
1. Prepare for customer aggression and support your people
Christmas can be stressful for everyone, including customers. Long queues, stock shortages, delivery delays and financial pressures can cause frustration, and unfortunately frontline workers are often on the receiving end.
The ShopCare National Customer Aggression Survey found that stress and anxiety are among the most common impacts from customer aggression.
Before the busy period begins:
- Refresh your team’s de-escalation skills
- Ensure workers know how and when to report incidents
- Make support options visible and accessible
- Encourage managers to check in regularly with team members
- Remind staff that abusive behaviour from customers, contractors or colleagues is never acceptable
ShopCare offers free online training covering situational awareness, managing aggressive customers, staying safe and supporting colleagues. Learn more about our training here.
2. Don’t cut corners on induction and training
Bringing on seasonal workers often happens at pace, but health and safety fundamentals cannot be rushed.
Every worker should understand:
- Site hazards and emergency procedures
- Safe work practices and reporting processes
- Their rights and responsibilities
- Who their Health and Safety Representative (HSR) is
- Christmas can also be an ideal time to empower Health and Safety Representatives, champions and supervisors to provide extra support across the business.
ShopCare has partnered with HSE Global to provide online training and development opportunities for HSRs and safety leaders. Find out more about this training here.
3. Stay alert around vehicles, deliveries and equipment
More deliveries, stock movements and vehicle activity mean a greater risk of injury.
Take time to:
- Separate pedestrians and vehicles wherever possible
- Reinforce designated walkways and exclusion zones
- Review traffic management controls
- Ensure operators remain focused, particularly during peak periods
- Check that equipment is fit for purpose and properly maintained
Congested stockrooms, pallets, trolleys and heavy lifting are all common seasonal hazards. A quick refresher on manual handling can help prevent injuries during the busiest weeks of the year. See our manual handling guidance and checklist.
4. Manage fatigue before it affects safety
Long days, overtime and extra shifts can be valuable during peak trading, but fatigue remains one of the most significant workplace risks.
Managers should:
- Monitor hours worked and consecutive shifts
- Allow sufficient recovery time between shifts
- Watch for signs of fatigue and stress
- Encourage workers to speak up when they need support
A well-rested workforce is safer, more productive and better equipped to deliver great customer experiences.
5. Keep sites clean, clear and well organised
Christmas decorations, promotional displays, increased stock volumes and larger crowds can create additional hazards.
Focus on:
- Promptly cleaning spills
- Maintaining clear walkways and emergency exits
- Securing temporary displays and decorations
- Managing electrical safety for festive lighting
- Communicating any site changes to workers and contractors
Good housekeeping remains one of the simplest and most effective safety controls during peak season.
6. Humanise customer interactions
Research suggests that personalised name badges can help reduce customer aggression by reminding customers that the person serving them is also a member of the community.
Simple messages such as “I’m a dad”, “I’m a daughter” or “I’m a local” can encourage empathy and respectful behaviour, particularly during high-pressure periods. For businesses using large numbers of seasonal staff, this can be a simple and low-cost initiative worth considering.
Let’s make this a safer Christmas
The festive season brings opportunities, excitement and increased demand, but it should never come at the expense of worker wellbeing.
Whether you’re in retail, transport, logistics, hospitality or another customer-facing industry, taking a proactive approach to health, safety and wellbeing can make all the difference.
Most importantly, remember that behind every uniform is a person. The ShopCare National Customer Aggression Survey found that many workers are carrying impact of customer aggression home to their whānau.
This Christmas, let’s work together to create safer, more respectful workplaces for everyone.
Ngā mihi and thank you for all the mahi you do to support New Zealand communities throughout the festive season.
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