Retail News CRM

Tag: workplace safety

  • Australian Retailers Launch $10 Million Campaign to Protect Workers

    Australian Retailers Launch $10 Million Campaign to Protect Workers

    Australian retail organisations have launched the ‘Be Kind in Retail’ campaign, rolling out more than $10 million in advertising on November 4 to tackle abuse and violence against staff during the Christmas shopping rush.

    The push spans more than 2,700 locations and 7,600 digital screens across Australia, covering 400 shopping centres, 650 bank branches, and 1,650 convenience stores and service stations.

    New partners 7-Eleven and Viva Energy Retail, which operates OTR and Reddy Express, joined existing backers Woolworths and Commonwealth Bank as Australian Retail Council (ARC) data showed 87 per cent of retail workers have experienced verbal abuse.

    ARC research also revealed that 51 per cent of retailers reported physical abuse at least monthly. Those affected include retail and pharmacy staff, security officers, cleaners, convenience and fuel attendants, and shopping centre employees.

    ARC CEO Chris Rodwell said holiday trading was no excuse for abusive behaviour towards employees.

    We all have our bad days, but no retail worker deserves your temper.

    The campaign runs through December 24. Industry leaders stressed that protecting staff requires coordination across the retail sector.

    Australian Security Industry Association Limited (ASIAL) CEO Bryan de Caires said there was no justification for violence, threats or abuse towards security officers, cleaners and retail workers.

    Australian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS) CEO Theo Foukkare noted the convenience sector employs around 80,000 frontline workers who serve 20 million customers each week across Australia, calling workplace safety and respect a shared responsibility.

    Shopping Centre Council of Australia (SCCA) CEO Angus Nardi said the campaign’s presence across shopping centres and retail locations could encourage appropriate behaviour.

    Rather than focusing on negative behaviour, the campaign uses positive messaging centred on kindness and respect. SCCA research indicates this approach can influence behaviour and establish respect as a standard in retail environments.

    The industry is also working with governments and police on broader protection measures, including action against illicit tobacco, Workplace Protection Orders and coordinated retail crime operations such as Operation Percentile in NSW, Operation Measure in SA and Operation Pulse in Victoria.

  • TPG Telecom Ordered to Pay A$1 Million After Sydney Store Attack

    TPG Telecom Ordered to Pay A$1 Million After Sydney Store Attack

    New South Wales District Court ordered TPG Telecom to pay A$1,006,996.29 in damages after an assailant attacked a store worker with a makeshift blowtorch in Sydney.

    The ruling establishes direct corporate liability for failing to deploy physical security guards at a shop recording five times the national network average for customer aggression.

    The Incident at Macarthur Square

    Proceedings stem from a November 22, 2019 assault on Vodafone store employee Damir Lepan at Campbelltown Macarthur Square. Lepan dealt with an aggressive customer who left the shop. The man returned several hours later carrying an aerosol deodorant can and a cigarette lighter.

    The assailant ignited the spray into Lepan’s face, burning his head and arm. Debilitating psychiatric trauma prevented him from returning to work. Lepan sued TPG Telecom under the Workers Compensation Act 1997 for past and future economic losses, arguing the company breached its duty of care through inadequate physical security.

    Flaws in Remote Monitoring Systems

    TPG Telecom relied on an under-counter duress alarm connected to a remote monitoring centre. Offsite operators reviewed CCTV feeds before contacting emergency services or dispatching guards.

    District Court Judge Paul Fitzsimmons rejected remote monitoring for high-risk retail sites. Evidence showed a 2017 incident at the store, where a customer threatened to slit an employee’s throat, took offsite security up to 15 minutes to respond. TPG Telecom national security manager Michael Jackson conceded during testimony that a uniformed guard deters attackers better than offsite cameras.

    Legal Fallout for Store Operators

    Court findings showed the Macarthur Square outlet was a clear statistical outlier across Vodafone’s national network, making violent encounters foreseeable. Fitzsimmons ruled that store workers were ill-equipped to manage hostile shoppers without dedicated onsite personnel.

    Retail chains relying on remote electronic monitoring to cut costs face direct legal exposure. Landlords and retail operators across Australia risk liability if they fail to staff known problem locations with physical guards, regardless of existing alarm systems.

    TPG Telecom introduced part-time guard coverage for four days across a two-week period following the 2019 attack. The A$1,006,996.29 award covers Lepan’s lost earnings, superannuation entitlements, and compensation tax liabilities.