8 IN 10 WORKERS HAVE EXPERIENCED ABUSE AT WORK IN PAST YEAR

Posted on 28th April 2026

A new survey published by the TUC shows 8 in 10 surveyed workers have experienced some form of abuse at work in the last year. The findings, based on a survey of 5,004 workers, show that in the last 12 months: 1 in 5 (19.4%) have experienced physical assault, 1 in 10 (9.9%) have experienced sexual harassment or sexual violence at work, 8 in 10 (79.1%) have experienced verbal abuse such as shouting, insults or threats at work, and 4 in 10 (44.9%) have experienced threats of physical harm.

The report is published as the TUC holds its Violence at Work conference, established following concerns from unions about violence and abuse against public-facing workers. More than 8 in 10 (84.1 %) of respondents said their roles are public facing. The report finds: 11.8% work in education, 38.9% work in transport, 9.9% work in prisons or secure facilities, 4.9% work in health and social care , 14.9% work in central or local government.

When asked how regularly they experience violence or abuse at work, more than half of workers (51.4%) said they experience violence or abuse weekly or more, while 17.1% said they experienced violence or abuse on a monthly basis. When asked who is responsible for the violence and/or abuse workers have experienced: 45.9% said customers were the perpetrators, 36.4% said passengers, 15.2% said other members of the public, 10.9% said pupils or students, 9.2% said colleagues, 8.5% said managers.

When asked about the impact of the most severe incidents they have experienced, 48.7%% said they feared for their safety, 13.9% said they experienced physical injury, 8.9% required medical treatment, 26.2% required police involvement, 16.8% had to take time off work, while 32.8% experienced mental trauma.

More than half (51.9%) of those who did not report it said it was because violence is seen as “part of the job”, while 33.7% said they felt it would not be taken seriously. The TUC says employers have a legal duty to keep staff safe at work and all employers must assess the health and safety risks in their workplaces.

For more information visit www.tuc.org.uk.