The NSW Government will introduce new Workplace Protection Orders aimed at strengthening protections for workers facing violence, intimidation and abuse.
The proposed orders will apply to people aged 14 and over who stalk, intimidate or engage in conduct amounting to a personal violence offence at a workplace where there are reasonable grounds to fear the behaviour will continue.
Courts will be able to impose conditions considered necessary to protect workers, including banning an individual from entering particular premises, contacting staff or possessing weapons.
A person conducting a business or undertaking under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 will be able to apply for an order on behalf of one or more workers. Business groups, unions and health and safety representatives will also be able to apply with the authorisation of those they represent.
Breaching a Workplace Protection Order would carry a maximum penalty of two years’ imprisonment, a $5,500 fine, or both.
The legislation is expected to be introduced to NSW Parliament in October 2026 following consultation with employers, police, unions, government agencies and legal stakeholders.
The scheme will initially apply to retail workplaces, with the Government able to extend it to other public-facing workplaces through regulation if required.
If passed, the laws are expected to commence within 12 months to allow time for education, training and justice system upgrades. The scheme will also be subject to a statutory review after three years.
The proposed reforms build on existing protections introduced in 2023, which created three offences covering assaulting, stalking, intimidating or abusing retail workers, with maximum penalties of up to 11 years’ imprisonment.
The Government says NSW Police’s Operation Percentile has so far charged more than 1,300 people, taken more than 1,550 legal actions and identified over 2,380 offences linked to more than $600,000 in allegedly stolen stock.
Minister for Industrial Relations Sophie Cotsis said the proposed laws were designed to provide stronger protections for workers who face violence and abuse while carrying out their jobs.