Recently, a Wal-Mart employee in Norfolk, Nebraska, was cut on the wrist by an intoxicated customer at 2:45 a.m. Unfortunately, these types of incidents are all too common at Wal-Marts, which is why one group is taking action.
The UFCW-backed group, Making Change at Wal-Mart, is pushing for increased security at Wal-Mart in the wake of an investigation by Businessweek that on average, one Wal-Mart a day is hit by a violent crime. The issue of crime at Wal-Mart is a safety issue for employees as well as shoppers.
Wal-Mart’s crime rate is six times higher than its nearest competitor, Target. Security experts attribute this in part to the fact that Wal-Mart stores have less staffing than Target stores, and that Target spends more on security. Experts also attribute Wal-Mart’s higher crime rate to the fact that it stays open 24 hours a day. The recent injury to the Wal-Mart employee in Norfolk, Nebraska, highlights the risk of overnight retail work.
Beech Grove, Indiana, Mayor Dennis Buckley became so fed up with police calls to the Wal-Mart in his town that he had Wal-Mart declared a public nuisance and fined Wal-Mart $2,500 for every police call. Mayor Buckley’s actions underscore the role that local government can play in ensuring the safety and security of retail employees. Convenience-store clerks are also vulnerable to violent crime on the job. Cities like Irving, Texas, and Milwaukee have passed city ordinances mandating security for convenience-store clerks. Both Omaha and Lincoln have city elections coming in a few months, so voters and groups supporting workers should press the candidates on the issue of retail-worker safety.
States, who traditionally oversee workers’ compensation, should consider using their 10th -amendment police powers to protect retail workers. For example, the Indiana Department of Labor did a study documenting violence against convenience-store clerks. Finally, injuries to retail workers through violent crime are covered by workers’ compensation. State workers’ compensation systems need to remain viable so unscrupulous retailers are not able to shift the costs of violent crime against their employees onto taxpayers.