'Nobody deserves to be abused at work': Why bodycams still in use at some Woolies stores
Months after the trial period was intended to end, staff bodycams are still being worn at some Woolworths stores in Australia.
A year after the initiative was first rolled out in April 2021 - in a bid to combat in-store violence, sexual and verbal assault - keen-eyed Aussies have spotted the cameras still very much in use at a number of stores.
While many have praised the protocol online for protecting staff from aggressive customers, some have said the move highlights how poorly retail staff are treated.
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Months after the trial period was intended to end, staff bodycams are still being worn at Woolworths stores all over the country. Supplied
"Since April last year, we've been trialling team safety cameras in a small number of stores to see if they can help prevent assaults and abuse of our team members," a Woolworths spokesperson said.
"Nobody deserves to be abused at work, so it's important we look at new measures to help keep our team members safe.
"These cameras are used widely in retail across the US and UK and have been effective in reducing the rate of reported incidents."
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While it seems the abuse has somewhat decreased in recent months, the bodycams have remained in some stores as a precaution. AAP
The spokesperson said cameras will "only be turned on as a last resort" if a supervisor is concerned about a threat to team safety.
Throughout the height of the pandemic, Woolworths and most other major supermarket chains and retail stores reported a sharp spike in in-store violence and abuse.
In particular, people took issues with COVID-19 protocols like mask-wearing, social distancing and limits on products.
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Both Coles and Woolies employed full-time security in certain stores, while police also patrolled aisles around the country to monitor customer behaviour.
The bodycams have remained in some stores as a precaution.
They do need to be turned on to capture footage and audio is only recorded if a trained store supervisor deems it necessary.
Recordings are stored securely on Australian servers, with access to the footage limited to a small team of Woolworths security experts and law enforcement agencies.
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