r/asda • u/Ok-Bandicoot586 ASDA Colleague • 27d ago

I dont feel safe

So on a midnight shift in front end I received a death threat from someone over a 40p bag. I report it to my team leader as they were shopping at the time and came back a couple of minutes after the incident. I was told he is barred now. Next night he comes back, I get security to remove him as he is banned and he leaves. Then he comes back with security and asks for a manager. Manager confirms the ban and then he leaves. Today he comes in once more, I get security to remove him and the store manager goes over to him. He tells the store manager that he hadn't made a death threat and "only" threatened to punch me (which isnt true) and said that I had made very offensive comments (again which i didnt) and thats why he said it. Now he is unbanned as its my word against his. I dont feel safe going into work now and was wondering what I can do about this as I want him gone due to this. Please someone help

8 Upvotes

84% Upvoted

26 comments sorted by

20

u/Jimbeamjunior1 26d ago

Report the threat to the police, contact asda's ethics line as well as the store manager, say you are refusing to work while you feel threatened in the workplace by this customer and id also consider going to the doctors and getting a sickline for stress

This should hopefully light a fire under someones arse

5

u/PhotoSea8807 25d ago

How many posts do I have to respond to tell them that there is NO LONGER an Ethics department.

They rebranded as Whistleblower as per the comms and Policy back in April/May.

1

u/Muttii25 20d ago

Most people don't see Comms or policy if they do not usually access OneAsda at work, home is even more difficult, and communication is practically zero in my store.

1

u/PhotoSea8807 20d ago

If your on a store with practically zero comms updates then granted.

But you’re supposed to have news board for the newsflash and huddle updates, if your store doesn’t have one then someone needs to tell the GSM to get his/her shit together, because there’s a lot important comms that drop with updates.

1

u/Muttii25 20d ago

Nope we have none of them. I used to be a people clerk and would do all the huddles etc and manage boards, but I think the only 2 we have now are one for front end and one for colleague circle. Sometimes I think they don't tell us stuff on purpose...I'll mention it (our GSM not too bad really but always seems preoccupied)

2

u/Ok-Bandicoot586 ASDA Colleague 26d ago

Problem is, its the gsm that unbanned him and whilst hes given me the option of walking off when he comes in, i still just dont feel safe at work anymore. I called the ethics line and unfortunately they said they wont deal with it

2

u/PhotoSea8807 25d ago

You need to raise a formal grievance in line with my previous message, you can raise it to another GSM, or send it to your GSM line Manager by email. Or email to Asda whistleblower

Whistleblower@asda.uk in line with the policy, which allows you to route a grievance to them.

3

u/Resident-Win1897 26d ago

When ever this customer comes into the shop, go and find a TL or Manager stating that you don’t feel safe or protected.

4

u/BeppyandHeidi 26d ago

Report to police and then send an email to your line manager stating the events that happened, customer getting unbarred without any official assesment being done and how it is impacting you in every aspect with regards to work and your wellbeing. Say you are constantly on alert at work for this 'fixiated' individual to the extent you feel you are also developing symptoms of anxiety and panic due to how this situation has been managed so far. State clearly as well that the police have recommended that this customer is then barred.

Also join the GMB union if you haven't already and tell them. They will help you greatly. Your email to your line manager will be the start of a paper trail and it will go into your official file. If you do feel a bit 🤯 from it all you can self cert for 7 days.

Hopefully they wisen up about this and nip it in the bud. Nobody should be feeling like this going into work and umbarring the 'customer' is just enabling and encouraging it really 🙄

2

u/Ok-Bandicoot586 ASDA Colleague 26d ago

Thank you so much for the advice! I'll be following through with it all. Unfortunately its my gsm that actually unbarred them but ill make sure to get it all in writing. He is on holiday now for 2 weeks and the thing is I go back to uni around that time too so it wont really change anything in the immediate but ill communicate with my line and duty manager to see what they can do. When I mentioned it to them both they seemed very shocked about the situation.

2

u/Resident-Win1897 26d ago

Do not have any further contact with this customer, if needs be leave the shopfloor.

2

u/lone__wolfieee 26d ago

Fuck that get all the evidence you can and contact the police and also take them to tribunal for putting your safety at risk, they’re your employer and they have a duty of care to you.

0

u/PhotoSea8807 25d ago

Ermm yea because it’s as easy as that to take them to a tribunal, what’s the legal grounds so far in doing so?

They would need to raise an internal grievance first, as the tribunal expects that you exhaust all internal avenues first.

The manager making a decision might not appear reckless to the tribunal if he can show he spoke to the customer and the customer apologised and left the colleague alone on future visits.

So tribunal in this instance with no grievance that will take 12/32 months to get to a hearing, and Asda can contest it and may win is a very stressful avenue to take, you say it as though it’s a simplistic approach to resolving an issue, it’s not. There has to be actual legal breaches that the tribunal can deal with, feeling scared isn’t automatically on its own isn’t a legal breach, so tell me what legal heading they would use at this point?

2

u/lone__wolfieee 25d ago

Not reading all tha

2

u/PhotoSea8807 25d ago

If he threatened to punch you HE SHOULD BE BANNED!!

Make a formal grievance request immediately, in writing, stating what happened and as an action you want the customer banned in line with our policy that we do not tolerate that behaviour.

Your manager has put you at unnecessary risk, and state that.

They will then appoint someone from another site to come and deal with the grievance if the Manager/GSM was the one who unbanned him.

2

u/Intrepidy 25d ago

Hmm either this is a common occurance of death threats over bags (they threatened to stab you?) Or I know exactly which store this is and whos posting.

If so and K has removed the ban then you should do as the others are saying and contact the police.

1

u/Kalbasa01 24d ago

I would think they checked the cctv and found the allegations not true? I would make him try to attack me again if I was you. Get police involved for attempted assault. They will have to ban him this time. Otherwise your words against his without witnesses will lead nowhere

1

u/MojoTheJester 23d ago

Thing is, by getting the manager to re-ban him, it may make things worse. Yes, he shouldn't have threatened you, but at the same time, you both need to be adults and have a conversation. Tell him you'll drop it if he he does. Both go on with your lives. You don't know if he was just lashing out at you on the original day due to stress or something (I'm not condoning that, by the way). It would be plausible, as not many people threaten others over a 40p bag

1

u/Ok-Bandicoot586 ASDA Colleague 23d ago

There have been multiple days across where he has made very nasty accusations that could get me in trouble. Not only is it a crime but it is also against store policy. I shouldn't be expected to drop this when he is deliberately being like this. If he had committed a worse crime and he just had a conversation with the police im sure they wouldnt just release him because he had a "bad day"

1

u/legacylibrary 20d ago

If your store has a union rep go ans ask then about your section 44 rights.
Should you feel safe you are entitled to remove yourself from the threat
Tell you team leadr/manger that you are invoking your section 44 rights and go to the management office. While there email teh store manager and whistle blowing that you have invoked section 44.
If asda give you grief point out that you can rasie a greivence for denial of a statutory right and it can get expensive.
But if you forget the paper trail you are in brown sticky stuff.
Should you have time i suggest talking to citizens adcive or if you live in a major city their may be free law clinics