Wearable technology may not be the solution to helping employees amid a rising wave of customer aggression, according to a study published by the Queensland University of Technology (QUT).
This comes after a 2023 survey of Australian retail and fast-food workers, which found 87 per cent of them had experienced customer abuse, up from 56 per cent in two years.
“Since the pandemic, we have seen rates of customer aggression increase across the retail and fast-food sectors. During the busy Christmas period, customer aggression really peaks, driven by frustration, car park chaos, crowding and busy shopping centres,” Professor Gary Mortimer said.
“Our findings show that while extra CCTV can act as a visual deterrent and reduce stress, wearable technologies like Duress Watches may backfire for employees who feel overwhelmed by tech.”
Products such as the Duress Watch often carry discrete SOS signals. They can be programmed to contact specific members of a workforce once triggered.
But the research claimed non-technology solutions may be the answer, with the use of uniformed security guards being “categorically” proven to make employees feel safer.
Professor Mortimer and Dr Shasha Wang, who conducted the study, said they are now looking at low-cost solutions to reducing customer aggression in the first place.
“Retailers, workers unions and industry associations have invested heavily in technologies to keep workers safe, including the use of facial recognition technology and body-worn cameras,” Mortimer added.
Dr Wang said a 2023 study she conducted with Professor Mortimer found employees exposed to customer aggression often faced increased emotional exhaustion and a higher rate of job stress.
“In our 2025 study, we reconfirmed that customer aggression increased job stress so we wanted to understand what types of technologies could be used to reduce the impact of aggression on job stress, essentially making workers feel safer,” Dr Wang said.
“Technology isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Managers need to consider individual employee traits – especially their level of comfort with technology – before implementing wearable surveillance devices.”
Mortimer added: “This research is a wake-up call for businesses investing in innovative surveillance. It’s not just about the tech; it’s about how people interact with it.”
