NSW must protect vulnerable retail and fast-food workers

Violence against retail and fast-food workers is escalating. NSW must act now.

In 2025, a Gosford café owner went to work expecting nothing more than the daily rush of coffees — and instead was allegedly assaulted in what police described as an unprovoked incident. The attack left retail and fast-food workers shaken and fearful about returning to their own workplace.

It is hardly an isolated case. In Newcastle and across the Hunter, shocking CCTV footage released last year showed retail and fast-food workers being shoved, punched, chased through stores and assaulted for simply doing their jobs. Fast-food workers report having hot drinks thrown back through drive-through windows, groceries hurled at their heads and repeated intimidation by the same offenders.

These are not “customer service incidents”. They are workplace violence — and the trend is getting worse.

A problem hiding in plain sight

Retail and fast-food workers are among the most exposed employees in the economy. They are young, public-facing, often working late at night or alone, and expected to enforce rules they did not make — from refusing alcohol sales to managing shortages and price rises.

NSW government data shows that since tougher assault laws were introduced in 2023, 136 people have been charged with offences against retail workers, 64 have been convicted, and 25 have been jailed. Those figures, troubling as they are, likely understate the true scale of abuse. Surveys by the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association indicate 88 per cent of retail and fast-food workers experience verbal abuse, and one in four report physical violence nationwide.

In the Hunter and Central Coast, where retail and fast-food jobs are a major entry point for young people, this violence is reshaping how workers feel about their safety. For teenagers in their first job, the message is unmistakable: abuse is something they must endure as part of the role.

That is unacceptable.

Stronger penalties alone are not enough

The NSW government deserves credit for introducing heavier penalties for assaults on retail workers. These laws send a clear signal that violence and intimidation will not be tolerated. But punishment after the fact does little to protect workers from repeat offenders — the small number of individuals responsible for a disproportionate share of incidents.

NSW Police’s Operation Percentile has brought welcome, high‑visibility policing into shopping centres, targeting retail theft, intimidation and violent behaviour. It has resulted in arrests and charges, including in regional NSW. But operations like this are, by design, temporary. Once patrols move on, workers remain vulnerable to repeat offenders—highlighting the need for preventative measures.

Union surveys show more than half of abused workers report being targeted repeatedly by the same customer. Police attend, charges may follow, but the offender is often back in the same store days later, confronting the same staff.

This is where NSW is falling behind.

Workplace Protection Orders are the missing piece

Workplace Protection Orders (WPOs), already operating in the ACT, are modelled on Apprehended Violence Orders. They allow police or courts to ban repeat violent offenders from specific workplaces, shopping centres or chains, with serious penalties for breaches.

Evidence from jurisdictions using similar mechanisms suggests that even limited use of exclusion orders can dramatically reduce repeat incidents. Retail unions estimate that banning just 10 per cent of repeat offenders could cut violence by up to 60 per cent, by targeting the people most likely to reoffend.

Importantly, WPOs protect workers before the next assault occurs. They empower employers and police to intervene early, rather than waiting for the next punch, thrown coffee or knife threat.