The next time you’re stuck in a queue or your coffee order’s wrong, take a breath. That’s the ask from a new WorkSafe Victoria campaign urging the public to stop and think before lashing out at workers.
Launched by the Allan Labor Government, the ‘Don’t Cross the Line’ campaign shines a very blunt light on something many experience but rarely talk about—everyday aggression directed at workers. Whether it’s a teenager working a till, a nurse checking vitals, or a bus driver announcing a delay, the message is clear: they’re not your emotional punching bag.
Backed by alarming figures from WorkSafe, the campaign arrives at a time when nearly 1,000 workers were seriously injured in just one year due to aggression or violence linked to their jobs. Over 300 of those injuries were mental in nature—scars not always visible, but no less real. Perhaps the most disturbing part? A hundred of these incidents involved workers under 25, including teenagers.
The settings are familiar. A delayed train. A long wait at the supermarket. A customer service mix-up. These moments—irritating as they may be—are the backdrop to a growing pattern of hostility towards staff. And the cost is adding up.
The campaign’s strength lies in its simple appeal: pause and reflect. It doesn’t wag fingers or preach from on high. Instead, it points out that many public-facing workers endure multiple hostile interactions in a single day. A little civility, it argues, goes a long way.
Deputy Premier and Minister for WorkSafe and the TAC Ben Carroll kept it straightforward. “There is never a place for aggressive or violent behaviour and this campaign is asking Victorians a very simple thing—to treat workers with the respect they deserve.”
He wasn’t sugar-coating the situation. “Aggression in the workplace is a community problem and needs a community response,” he said. “So we’re asking all Victorians to step up and the next time you’re getting frustrated in a workplace, pause and ask yourself—am I crossing the line?”
The problem isn’t new, but the rise in incidents suggests it’s getting worse. WorkSafe’s Executive Director of Health and Safety Sam Jenkin summed it up: “Every day, too many workers are reduced to tears, sent home from work early, or turn up to their shift with a knot in their stomach because of repeated encounters with aggressive or violent people—enough is enough.”
The campaign isn’t just a public reminder. It’s also a push for employers to step up, with a reminder of their obligation to protect staff by putting proper systems in place—from prevention to reporting to support after an incident.
And for workers feeling unsafe or unsupported, the message is clear: you’re not alone. WorkSafe is just a phone call away on 1800 136 089, and more resources are available at worksafe.vic.gov.au/dontcrosstheline.
This isn’t about awkward customer service moments or one-off complaints. It’s about the slow erosion of empathy that leaves too many workers bracing for abuse each time they clock in. The campaign asks something very human—for us to be a little less reactive, and a lot more kind.
And if you’ve ever shouted at a waiter or snapped at a receptionist, it’s not too late to change course. Just don’t cross the line.
🔗 Learn more: worksafe.vic.gov.au/dontcrosstheline
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