Peak bodies, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) and National Retail Association (NRA), have welcomed the Queensland Government's Respect at Work laws that will see stronger protections for people assaulted at work, alongside a raft of other changes for safer and more inclusive workplaces.
Under this new legislation, stronger penalties will apply to assaults that occur in the workplace, including in retail settings.
ARA CEO Paul Zahra says while this is a positive step forward, the industry would like to see specific penalties for people who are abusive or aggressive towards retail workers, as is the case in NSW, SA and WA.
"This has been an important area of advocacy and we welcome QLD's commitment to workplace safety that will see harsher penalties for offenders who assault people at work.
"While this legislation is a step in the right direction, we want to see harsher penalties for people committing violence in retail-specific work settings.
"No one should go to work fearing for their safety, but unfortunately this is the reality for many retail workers.
NRA Interim CEO Lindsay Carroll says this new legislation has brought QLD broadly in line with the provisions introduced in the NT last year, which apply to all workplace settings.
"NSW, SA and WA have set the benchmark by adding harsher penalties for offenders committing violence against retail workers specifically. We would like QLD to follow this model."
The changes mean that sentencing judges in QLD must take into account the fact that an assault took place in a workplace as an aggravating factor, which typically results in longer sentences.
The ARA and NRA continue their unified approach in advocating for a national approach for penalties for offenders of violent retail crime, which is having a devastating impact on the emotional wellbeing of frontline workers and small business owners.
