Tasmania is looking to give retail workers and other frontline staff a new way to deal with aggressive and intimidating customers, with the state government announcing plans for new workplace protection orders.
Deputy Premier Guy Barnett unveiled the proposal on Sunday at Bunnings in North Launceston, alongside the hardware chain’s chief financial officer Michael Howard and site manager Matt Edwards.
Under the proposed scheme, a business could apply to a court or tribunal for an order against a person who has been violent or threatening in a workplace.
The orders would sit alongside existing tools like trespass notices and police move-on powers, offering what the government says will be a more tailored response to repeated or escalating incidents.
“We know that incidents of aggressive and intimidating behaviour towards workers – especially in retail, hospitality and service environments – are a significant and growing concern,” Barnett said.
“We are taking strong action to address this head on.”
Barnett said the scheme would apply to all ages.
Edwards said staff at his store were dealing with increasingly bold and frequent bad behaviour.
“These customers have become far more uncooperative in terms of being loud and vocal,” he said.
“They’re also very disruptive, not only to my team, but to the wider customers that are actually shopping in the shop.”
He said the behaviour was particularly confronting for younger workers who might be new to the job.
Bunnings managing director Mike Schneider welcomed the announcement.
“Escalating retail crime is a safety crisis and behind the statistics are real people who are being put in harm’s way,” Schneider said.
Howard said many Bunnings employees were in their first job and the experiences could leave lasting scars.
Woolworths’ head of acts of violence and aggression Sarah Faorlin also backed the move.
“Our team members are mothers, fathers, sons and daughters, many in their first job,” Faorlin said.
“We thank the Tasmanian government for working with Woolworths and industry to strengthen protections for frontline workers.”
The government has not yet decided whether applications will go to a magistrate or a tribunal but said it wanted a streamlined approach with minimal red tape.
Similar schemes already operate in the ACT and South Australia.
Public consultation is now open through the Department of Justice website, with submissions closing on July 17.
