New data from WorkForce Software, the global provider of cloud-based workforce management solutions, has revealed that Transport for London (TfL) workers at London’s tube stations suffered an average of 245 incidences of abuse per month during the height of the pandemic (April 2020 and December 2021).
Gathered through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, the data highlights that frontline transport workers faced 161 verbal assaults, 58 threats and 24 physical assaults per month.
“Sadly, abuse is a daily risk for many frontline workers,” said Steve Tonks, Senior Vice President EMEA at WorkForce Software. “Whilst TfL will increase fines for fare evasion by 25 per cent, this is unlikely to minimise the incidences of abuse towards staff that are linked to fare evasion and revenue disputes.”
The correlation between revenue disputes and abuse towards staff is cause for concern in 2022, given that TfL increased prices by 4.8% in March, which is the largest fare increase for London rail passengers since 2013.
Modern workforce management technologies can enable organisations to create a safe, more productive environment for their frontline staff.
Tonks adds, “Harnessing such technologies will not only streamline internal communications and enable significant cost savings for the employer, but most importantly demonstrate support for frontline staff by empowering them to report incidences of abuse in real-time.”
