Minister for Work Health and Safety, Sophie Cotsis, said the tougher penalties were a reminder that everyone should behave respectfully towards people who served you in retail outlets and shoppers should take a moment to remember that the people who served you, deserved respect.
“For people thinking about doing the wrong thing, think twice, you can and will be charged for assaulting a worker in NSW,” she said.
The new laws also make it an offence to:
Assault, throw a missile at, stalk, harass or intimidate a retail worker in the course of the worker’s duty, even if no actual bodily harm is caused to the worker, with a maximum penalty of four years’ imprisonment; and
Assault a retail worker in the course of the worker’s duty and cause actual bodily harm to the worker, with a maximum penalty of six years’ imprisonment.
Videos of retail workers being assaulted have been widely shared on social media with many shocking and violent abuses caught on camera.
Workplace violence has significant impacts on a person’s physical and psychological health, and includes any incident where a person is abused, threatened or assaulted at work, including physical assault, sexual assault, harassment or aggressive behaviour.
Retail staff assault offender facing jail
ANYONE who wounds a retail worker in the course of their duty, could face 11 years in jail under tougher penalties to make their workplaces safer.
