After surveying more than 5,000 employees, of which 84% are frontline workers, the TUC found that eight in 10 (79.1%) reported having experienced verbal abuse such as shouting, insults or threats at work.
Almost one in five (19%) reporting having been physically assaulted, and one in 10 said that they had experienced sexual harassment or violence at work.
When asked how regularly they had experienced violence or abuse at work, half (51.4%) reported having experienced violence or abuse at least weekly.
These numbers show that employers must do more to prevent harassment, said Adina Dinu, founder of business consultancy Trauma At Work.
Dinu said: “All employers have a duty of care towards their employees. Abuse prevention is part of it.
“That means clear behaviour standards, zero-tolerance policies enforced when needed, and accessible disclosure procedures that protect the safety and dignity of anyone who reports abuse.”
These stats show that workplace violence is not a fringe issue, added Brenig Moore, director and co-founder of health and safety training provider Astutis.
No employee should be expected to tolerate intimidation, harassment, threats or violence as a normal part of working life. “The most important takeaway here is that employers need to take action and do more.
“If organisations are serious about protecting their employees, then they need to treat harassment and abuse with the same level of rigour as what is typically considered as a more serious workplace risk, such as an injury or potential hazard.”
To support employees, Dinu advised business leaders to outline what constitutes abuse, and strategies for how to manage it.
“Managers need the skills and confidence to recognise signs of distress that may stem from abusive experiences at work, particularly where employees may be reluctant to speak up,” explained Dinu.
To ensure robust employee safeguarding, Moore stressed that HR leaders need to properly review incident data.
Moore said: “Patterns around repeat offenders, hotspots, timings or departments can reveal where action is most urgently needed, giving HR managers guidance on where needs immediate attention.
“Safeguarding employees is not about a single policy on paper, it is about building a system that prevents harm where possible, and responds decisively when harm occurs.”
