If you’ve ever worked in retail, you know you can count on one thing: People are unpredictable.
For every kind customer that walks through the door, there’s another who’s rude, combative, or downright aggressive. Retail employees are often on the front lines of this unpredictability, absorbing the frustrations of the public with little power to do anything about it.
When things escalate, there’s only one place they can turn for help short of calling 911: And that’s management.
But what happens when management turns its back? What happens when a manager, the person responsible for keeping their team safe and supported, is “on break” when their employee is in distress?
This very scenario played out in British Columbia, where the Workers’ Compensation Appeal Tribunal (WCAT) recently ruled in favour of a retail employee who suffered a panic attack after being verbally assaulted by customers who didn’t have proper ID and receiving no support from her manager.
The employee, who had been dealing with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and persistent depressive disorder (PDD), was faced with an aggressive confrontation by two customers at a cannabis store.
When she called for help, her manager replied: “I am on my (lunch) break” and did nothing to assist her. The result? A panic attack, a worker leaving her shift early, and eventually, a mental health claim filed with the Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB).
Now, WCAT has ruled that the worker’s anxiety disorder was aggravated by the incident, and that her employer, specifically the manager’s failure to assist, bears responsibility.
The ruling is a reminder of something every manager in a retail environment should take to heart: When an employee is in trouble, the onus is always on management to respond.
If one of your workers feels threatened and unsafe? Drop the damn sandwich and go help.
Management’s role: always on, never off
The moment you accept a management role, you take on the responsibility of leading and protecting your team. That responsibility doesn’t pause when you’re on break. It doesn’t take a backseat when things get tough. In fact, it’s precisely when things get tough that leadership is most needed.
In this case, the worker’s manager failed in spectacular fashion. The next customer in line even commented about it, telling the worker: “Great support system you’ve got here.”
The icing on the cake in this case is that same manager, when told she couldn’t finish her shift and needed to go home, replied with: “Okay, well, I’m going to mark you as AWOL (absent without leave) then.”
This was the tipping point. Instead of recognizing that the worker was in distress, the response was punitive. The message to the employee was clear: “We won’t help you, and we’ll punish you for your inability to cope.”
No wonder the WCAT sided with the worker. The tribunal found that the manager’s response aggravated the worker’s pre-existing anxiety disorder.
What could have been done differently?
There are countless ways this situation could have been handled better. Let’s start with the basics: the moment the worker called for help, the manager should have intervened.
Whether they were on break or not, it was their job to step in, calm the situation, and ensure the worker’s safety. This is retail 101 — managers are there to provide backup, especially in customer-facing roles where tempers can flare.
Second, the response to the worker’s distress should have been supportive, not punitive. By threatening to mark the worker AWOL, the manager exacerbated an already tense situation. Instead, they should have allowed the worker to step away to recover, acknowledged her distress, and offered support.
And they should have also offered up an apology, on the spot, for not instantly coming to the rescue.
The irony is that handling the situation properly likely wouldn’t have taken much time or effort. Stepping in, de-escalating the customer interaction, and giving the employee a chance to regroup could have prevented the entire situation from spiraling into a legal claim and approved WCB benefits.
But that didn’t happen, and now the employer is paying the price — not just in terms of compensation, but in the damage done to employee trust and morale.
When an employee calls for help, especially in a high-stress environment like retail, management needs to respond with empathy and action. You can’t brush off their concerns or hide behind your break schedule. You need to show up, even when it’s inconvenient, because that’s what leadership demands.
Advice for leaders: how to respond when your team needs help
So, what should leaders take away from this case? Here are a few key lessons for any manager—especially those in retail:
- Always be available: Breaks are important, but your role as a leader doesn’t stop when you’re off the floor. If an employee is in distress, it’s your responsibility to step in, no matter what.
- De-escalation is your job: When a customer interaction turns hostile, it’s up to management to intervene. Your employees shouldn’t have to manage aggression or violence on their own.
- Support, don’t punish: If an employee is showing signs of distress, the last thing they need is punishment. Take a moment to understand the situation and offer support, whether that means letting them step away or providing additional resources.
- Lead with empathy: Retail can be a high-stress environment, and your employees are on the front lines. Show empathy when they’re struggling, and make it clear that you have their back.
- Learn from mistakes: If your team feels unsupported, it’s time to reflect on your leadership style. Be open to feedback and willing to change how you respond to crises.
Never ‘off the clock’
The lesson from this case is simple: when an employee is in trouble, it’s not just their problem— it’s management’s responsibility to help. The moment you become a leader, you take on the duty of protecting your team, whether you’re “on break” or not.
In retail, where the unpredictability of the public can make every day a challenge, the need for strong, empathetic leadership is paramount. Managers need to be ready to step up, not step away, when their employees need them. Because when it comes to workplace safety and mental health, there’s no such thing as being “off the clock.”
