Aldi drops mandatory bag checks after 97% of staff report abuse
Aldi ended mandatory bag checks at self-serve checkouts after staff faced threats, violence, and psychological harm.
Aldi has stopped its policy of checking all customer bags larger than A4 size after growing evidence of abuse against workers. Nearly 97 per cent of Aldi staff reported abuse or violence at self-serve checkouts.
The mandatory bag checks were overwhelmingly the main cause. Staff reported facing threats.
Some customers said 'Watch out, I'll wait for you outside' and others damaged property. A union survey of 185 workers found staff dealing with customers throwing groceries and having tantrums.
Some workers said management watched CCTV video to check if they had completed bag checks. Aldi announced on September 30 that mandatory checks would end immediately.
Staff can now request bag inspections only when there is clear evidence an item has been hidden. The company says harassment toward employees will not be tolerated.
- 185
- Survey respondents
- 97 percent
- Staff reporting abuse
- 98.4 percent
- Abuse from bag checks
- September 30
- Policy change date
Why it mattersThe policy change shows that supermarkets must balance theft prevention with worker safety. This is a growing tension as higher living costs drive more retail crime.
AustraliaAldi workers nationwide will face fewer confrontations at checkout, and the policy shift may pressure other Australian supermarkets to rethink their own anti-theft rules.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 1 h ago
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