You don’t need a Working with Children Check to work with children in retail or fast-food outlets.
Many adults are working alone with or supervising young people in retail or fast food.
But there are limited laws or protections to make sure they have passed the same kind of clearances that people in education or volunteer settings have passed in South Australia and the Northern Territory.
There have been far too many incidents where managers have been allowed to continue to work with or manage young workers in retail or fast food, despite being charged with child sex offences.
This doesn’t make sense.
More can – and must – be done to create safer environments for young workers.
We’re calling for working with children checks and mandatory reporting obligations to ensure young workers are provided with a completely safe working environment.
Working in a safe environment that is free of harassment and workplace hazards is a non-negotiable for workers of all ages.
Union win: better protections implemented in South Australia
SA Parliament has passed legislation which will ban child sex offenders from working in places where workers under 18 are present.
These reforms mean offenders will now be barred from working in any workplace where they would be working alongside children, including retail and fast food.
South Australia is the first place in the country to introduce these laws – and it’s all thanks to the support of SDA members.
