Treat shop staff with respect, says Scottish trade body

The Scottish Grocers’ Federation (SGF) says that convenience stores are likely to re-introduce queueing systems and manage physical distancing as part of the national effort to slow the Omicron variant of Covid.

Dr John Lee, the SGF’s head of policy, said: “Convenience stores have maintained high standards of hygiene and safety throughout the pandemic and will continue to do so

“However, the latest Scottish Government announcement is going to put a huge amount of pressure back on some shop workers – and there may be a need for queuing to control numbers in some stores to ensure people can move around them smoothly and safely.

“Unfortunately this is having to happen at the busiest time of the year for retail – and we understand that some people will be unhappy.”

Lee added that earlier in the pandemic retailers had seen customers take out their frustration on staff and behave poorly.

He said: “By showing patience towards retail workers – perhaps allowing some extra time for your shopping – you can help them to help you.

“The measures in place are there to protect us all and they are simply doing their job.”

Earlier this year the Scottish government introduced the Protection of Workers Act, which makes it a specific offence to threaten or abuse shop workers.