136 People Charged for Abusing Retail Workers in NSW

NSW Minister for Work Health and Safety Sophie Cotsis said the state government was taking a zero-tolerance approach to retail worker abuse.

People queue at a supermarket in Adelaide, Australia, on Nov. 18, 2020. Brenton Edwards/AFP via Getty Images

Over 100 people have been charged for committing offences against retail workers in New South Wales (NSW) in the past two years.

According to new figures from the NSW government, since the state introduced laws to strengthen the protection of retail workers in 2023, 136 people have been charged with different offences.

Among these people, 64 individuals have been convicted, and 25 received custodial imprisonment sentences.

The new laws criminalise assault, throwing projectiles, stalking, harassing, or intimidating retail employees while on the job.

Offenders may be subject to a maximum penalty of four years of imprisonment if there is no harm to the worker.

If actual bodily harm occurs, the maximum penalty will go up to six years of imprisonment.

In the case of a wound or significant bodily harm, offenders will face a maximum penalty of 11 years of imprisonment.

NSW Minister for Work Health and Safety Sophie Cotsis said the state government was taking a zero-tolerance approach to the issue.

“Retail workers have the right to feel and be safe when they go to work, and these strong laws will continue to protect them,” she said.

“If you do the wrong thing, if you threaten or assault a retail worker, you can and will be charged.”

Fleur Brown, Chief Industry Affairs Officer Australian Retailers Association, welcomed the tougher penalties

“It’s encouraging to see the progress following the introduction of targeted penalties to help keep retail spaces safe,” he said.

Bernie Smith, NSW branch secretary of the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA)–a labour union–echoed the sentiment, noting that retail workers had the right to feel safe at work.

“There are now serious consequences for offenders who abuse retail workers, including increased jail time,” he said.

“Don’t ruin our members’ day with bad behaviour in shops–don’t ruin your life with a bad decision.

“We ask customers to stop, reflect, and do the right thing in shops. Be kind to retail workers, it’s the best present you can give them.”

According to government data, retail is the second largest employment industry in NSW, supporting 9 percent of the state’s total workforce.

Retail Worker Abuse by the Numbers

A 2023 survey (pdf) by the SDA showed that 87 percent of retail workers experienced verbal abuse from a customer, a slight drop from previous years—but the frequency of incidents rose.

Of those subjected to verbal abuse, 76 percent experienced it on a more regular basis, up from 54 percent in 2021.

Similarly, around 12.5 percent of the respondents reported being subject to physical violence, up from 8 percent in 2021.

Nearly one in ten workers (9 percent) said they had been spat on by customers, and 17 percent said they were sexually harassed.

Repeat offences were also on the rise, with the percentage of workers abused by the same customer on more than one occasion jumping from 38.5 percent to 52 percent.

In addition, supervisors and managers are more likely to experience customer abuse compared to ordinary employees.

The top three causes of customer abuse and violence were inadequate staffing, long wait times, and theft.

Over six in ten (63 percent) of the respondents reported having some form of physical or mental health impact due to customer abuse.