Queensland government’s Respect at Work laws, which will impose stronger penalties for assaults in the workplace, have been welcomed by retailers.

The legislation will protect workers against sex-based discrimination, harassment, and attitudes that lead to domestic and family violence.

It also provides a new aggregating sentencing factor when an individual inflicts violence against a worker.

However, in a joint statement, the two organisations said they want the laws to be taken a step further, saying: “while this legislation is a step in the right direction, we want to see harsher penalties for people committing violence in retail-specific work settings”.

“NSW, SA and WA have set the benchmark by adding harsher penalties for offenders committing violence against retail workers specifically. We would like Queensland to follow this model,” said Lindsay Carroll, interim CEO of the National Retail Association (NRA).

“This has been an important area of advocacy, and we welcome Queensland’s commitment to workplace safety that will see harsher penalties for offenders who assault people at work,” said Paul Zahra, CEO of the Australian Retailers Association (ARA).