Violence, aggression and abuse towards customer-facing workers is an increasing risk across many industries. For too long, such behaviour has been normalised as ‘part of the job’, despite the very real physical and psychological harm it can cause.
From 4 May 2026, South Australian employers have access to a new, proactive legal mechanism designed to help address these risks before they escalate further. The Workplace Protection (Personal Violence) Act 2025 (SA) (the Act) has now commenced, giving employers and other authorised parties the ability to seek court orders restricting violent or abusive individuals from attending the workplace.
This represents a significant shift in how employers can respond to workplace violence.
A preventative approach, not just punishment after the fact
Historically, employers dealing with violent or intimidating customers have felt limited to reactive options. The new Act changes this approach.
It introduces Workplace Protection Orders (WPOs), which allow a Court to restrict a person from entering or approaching a workplace for up to 12 months where:
- the person has engaged in personal violence in relation to a workplace, and
- there is a real risk of further violence if an order is not made.
Importantly, ‘personal violence’ is defined broadly. It is not limited to physical violence, and extends to threatening, intimidating or abusive behaviour, harassment, stalking and damage to property that causes reasonable fear at the workplace. Further, conduct does not need to occur face-to-face and can include behaviour over the phone or electronically.
Why this matters for employers
Under the Work Health and Safety Act 2012 (SA), South Australian employers already have a duty to provide and maintain a safe working environment. The commencement of the Act raises important considerations for employers, including:
- how customer-related violence, aggression and abuse is being identified and assessed as a work health and safety risk
- whether existing procedures adequately protect workers from repeat offenders
- how and when a WPO may be an appropriate part of a broader risk management response
WPO are not a replacement for internal policies, incident reporting, training or support mechanisms. Rather, they provide an additional, preventative tool that can be used in serious or repeated cases to help protect workers and reduce ongoing risk.
Not just a legal change, but a cultural shift
Beyond compliance, the Act reflects a broader shift in expectations of employees and the community. Abuse, aggression and violence directed at workers is no longer being viewed as something that organisations must simply tolerate or manage internally.
Courts are now empowered to intervene early, with worker safety as a key consideration.
For employers, this is an opportunity to reassess how workplace violence is addressed, ensure systems are fit for purpose, and demonstrate a genuine commitment to protecting employees who interact in public.
Getting the approach right
The introduction of any new legal framework is a good opportunity to review and update existing internal systems and practices. This is important from a compliance perspective, but also to ensure that such systems and practices are contemporary, appropriate and fit for purpose.
If your business is within the scope of the Act, and you’d like more information or guidance on how the business may be impacted, or you’d like us to review your approach to managing violence and aggression, contact Perks People Solutions.
Amanda is a highly experienced employment and industrial relations practitioner, having been a trusted adviser to local and national businesses for almost 20 years. Amanda has worked in private legal practice since 2004 and, most recently, was a Legal Practitioner Director of a national law firm that specialises in workplace relations.
Over the course of her career, Amanda has worked with a broad array of clients in the public and private sectors, and has assisted them to navigate an equally diverse range of workplace-related issues – from recruitment to people management to resolving disputes. Amanda’s experience encompasses all aspects of workplace relations: legislative and industrial instrument interpretation, enterprise bargaining, performance management, disciplinary matters, underpayments, termination/separation, redundancies, and policies and procedures. She assists her clients in both an advisory and advocacy capacity.
Amanda is passionate about achieving timely and pragmatic outcomes for her clients. She takes a commercial but people-focused approach when advising her clients, which is enhanced by her qualifications in organisational psychology. Amanda also enjoys engaging with her clients in a proactive way, working with them to develop and present training to educate their people.
Since joining Perks People Solutions as an Associate Director in October 2023, Amanda has continued to provide clear, thoughtful and practical advice to clients with a view to achieving each client’s unique strategic and personnel objectives.