Overview

The Protection of Workers Bill creates a new criminal offence for assaulting individuals whose jobs involve direct contact with the public. This aims to better protect workers in various sectors from assault and harassment.

Description

This bill establishes a specific offence for assaulting anyone whose work, paid or unpaid, brings them into contact with the public. The bill explicitly states that assault doesn't need to be physical; any action intended to cause harm qualifies. A conviction requires knowledge or reasonable belief that the victim was working at the time of the assault. The bill includes a list of roles considered “essential work” and automatically covered, including prison officers, NHS clinical staff, social workers and others. The Secretary of State can add or remove roles from this list via order, subject to parliamentary approval. The penalty for this offence is up to six months imprisonment and/or a fine. Existing laws covering assaults on police, firefighters, and other emergency workers remain unaffected.

Government Spending

The bill doesn't directly specify government spending. However, potential costs could arise from increased court cases, potential expansion of support services for affected workers and training and awareness campaigns. No figures are provided in the bill.

Groups Affected

This bill primarily affects:
•Workers in public-facing roles: This includes a broad range of professions, from healthcare workers and social workers to retail staff and public transport employees. The bill offers increased legal protection against assault.
•Perpetrators of assault: Individuals assaulting workers in covered roles face potential prosecution under this new law.
•The Courts and Criminal Justice System: Increased workload due to potential rise in prosecutions under this new offence.
•The Secretary of State: Responsibility for adding or removing worker categories to the protected list via statutory instrument.

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