New Workplace Protection Orders give courts power to ban offenders from retail, hospitality and transport venues
Workplace violence has become an endemic problem for retail staff, hospitality workers and transport operators across Victoria — now the Victorian State Government has introduced legislation to give courts tough new enforcement powers.
The scheme reflects growing recognition that frontline workers — those who interact directly with the public — face disproportionate risks. Research has shown that retail and hospitality workers report higher rates of customer-directed abuse than many other professions, yet have fewer legal tools to protect themselves. Workplace Protection Orders close that gap by shifting enforcement responsibility to the courts, rather than relying solely on individual businesses or law enforcement to manage repeat offenders.
The Workplace Protection Order (WPO) scheme allows magistrates to ban or restrict individuals who have assaulted, abused, intimidated or stalked frontline workers. Orders can remain in place for up to 12 months, and breaching them carries serious penalties: up to two years’ imprisonment or fines reaching $50,000.
THE PROBLEM IS REAL
For years, workers in local businesses — from cafés and shops to public transport operators — have reported rising levels of verbal abuse, intimidation and physical violence. In regional centres like Daylesford and across Victoria, hospitality and retail workers have become an easy target for offenders, often with little legal recourse beyond standard assault charges.
Industry bodies, unions and small business operators have consistently called for targeted protections. The WPO scheme represents a direct response to that demand.
HOW IT WORKS
From 26 July 2027, courts can impose Workplace Protection Orders across:
All retail businesses
Specified train, tram and bus operators
Ticket sales locations and ticketed-access areas
Listed retail and transport operators, alongside employee unions, can apply to the Magistrates’ Court or Children’s Court for an order. Once issued, an offender is banned from — or has restricted access to — the protected workplace.
WHAT IT MEANS LOCALLY
For Daylesford’s thriving hospitality and retail sector, the legislation offers meaningful protection for staff who often work in small, close-contact environments. Local café and shop owners, who depend on safe workplaces to retain staff and serve their communities, welcome the new enforcement mechanism.
THE STAKES
Breaching a Workplace Protection Order is not a minor infraction. Offenders face:
Up to two years’ imprisonment, or fnes up to $50,00
