Victoria moves to tighten protections for frontline workers as runaway violence escalates
Victoria is preparing to introduce a new set of workplace-focused criminal penalties aimed at curbing rising violence in retail, hospitality and other customer-facing sectors, as police data and industry groups point to a sustained escalation in abuse and assaults directed at staff.
The Allan government will bring legislation before parliament that creates specific offences for assaulting or threatening workers in retail, hospitality, fast food and transport. Under the bill, physical assaults or threats of assault could attract a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment, while verbal threats and intimidation would carry a potential six-month jail term.
The measures apply across the frontline workforce — from shopfloor and kitchen staff to delivery riders and rideshare drivers — and form part of a broader sequence of crime initiatives rolled out by the government this week.
Premier Jacinta Allan said the government had been told repeatedly that existing penalties were not deterring offenders. “Everyone knows the difference between a customer from hell and a customer who harms,” she told ABC News Breakfast. She said the new provisions came after “listening to victims of crime,” adding that “there are not enough consequences and there needs to be consequences for this brazen violent offending, offending that is causing harm.”
The government has been criticised for its slow reaction to the crime surge. Coles Group chief of operations and supply chain Matt Swindells told news.com.au “The government has a lot to answer for. The fact that it’s a Victorian-centric problem speaks volumes about the culture that’s beginning to build.”
On ABC radio the retailer reported that 71% of the crime it sees in its stores is in Victoria.
HR concerns intensify as workplace aggression becomes a persistent risk
For HR leaders, the move marks a significant shift in the legal and compliance landscape. The introduction of standalone offences for violence against workers signals an expectation that employers must treat customer aggression not as a behavioural challenge but as a foreseeable and preventable workplace hazard.
The latest Crime Statistics Agency figures help explain the urgency. Assaults have trended steadily upwards over the past decade, and the number of assaults in supermarkets has more than doubled — from 262 in 2016 to 664 last year. Retail theft has been increasing at a similar pace, with 41,667 incidents recorded in 2024–25, up 27.6 per cent on the previous year. Food theft and the theft of cigarettes and liquor have both risen sharply over the past decade.
Major retailers have been signalling alarm for months. Some supermarket operators have reportedly examined the possibility of store closures, while others have created specialist internal units to investigate violence. Bunnings has rolled out staff-worn cameras and additional security personnel in response to escalating risks.
Industry bodies have echoed those concerns. The Retail Council, Australian Retailers Association and National Retail Association have all pressed for stronger protections, pointing to rising threats, intimidation and physical attacks on workers.
“We are asking for support from the police, from a retail task force, so we can nip this in the bud,” said Swindells.
Unions say frontline staff have been bearing the brunt
The Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association has long advocated for tougher laws and the introduction of workplace protection orders. The union’s Victorian secretary, Michael Donovan, said the new penalties were overdue.
“Our members have been subject to torrents of abuse, harassment and intimidation,” he said. “The government’s legislation has taken longer than we would have liked, but we’re pleased that we’re getting an outcome.”
He added that the SDA wanted the laws in place before the peak Christmas retail period.
In separate comments to radio station 3AW, Donovan said the violence experienced by members ranged across a spectrum: workers “have been screamed at, pushed, shoved, dragged across the counter, had things thrown at them, being spat on, being threatened ‘we’ll get you in the car park’ right through to stabbings.”
Retailers have also backed moves to introduce workplace protection orders next year. These orders would restrict violent or threatening individuals from entering entire stores or sites, rather than applying only to individual staff members.
Bunnings managing director Mike Schneider said such measures were essential. “These steps are vital to addressing the unacceptable rise in retail crime in Victoria and ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our team members and customers,” he said.
A broader crime agenda ahead of the state election
The forthcoming worker-protection bill arrives amid a wider set of reforms unveiled by the government in recent days, including measures focused on protest-related violence and youth offending.
Proposed changes announced earlier in the week would allow children as young as 14 to be dealt with in adult courts for serious violent crimes, with life sentences available for the most extreme cases.
The government also plans to amend the law so that ram raids fall within the aggravated burglary category, attracting maximum sentences of up to 25 years.
HR and workplace safety advisers say this broad suite of reforms will heighten expectations on employers to review policies, risk assessments, training and incident-reporting systems — particularly in industries facing regular public contact.
What HR leaders should watch next
The legislation expected next year — the creation of workplace protection orders — may have the most substantial operational implications. Such orders could become a tool for employers seeking to protect staff from repeat offenders but will likely require standardised reporting practices, stronger evidence collection, and clearer protocols for cooperation with law-enforcement authorities.
For now, the most immediate action point for employers is ensuring that their workplaces are prepared for the new criminal framework, that staff are aware of their rights, and that escalation and reporting procedures are consistent, documented and defensible.
As the Premier put it: “We will stand with retail workers but also other workers in those customer-facing roles to strengthen the protections for them with stronger jail terms and consequences for people who threaten, abuse retail workers.”
