Mandatory sexual harassment training for all NSW hospitality staff

In a landmark move, the NSW Government has become the first in Australia to require all hospitality staff and liquor licence-holders to complete specialist training in preventing sexual harassment and sexual violence.

The enhanced Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) course has been updated to equip workers in licensed venues with the knowledge and tools necessary to foster safe environments, with an emphasis on staff members’ duty of care towards patrons and colleagues and ensuring venues remain free from harassment, violence and assault.

Minister for Music and the Night-Time Economy John Graham said: “We want NSW to be the global gold standard for live music, nightlife and entertainment. That only happens if our venues are safe, welcoming and respectful for everyone who walks through the door.

“The updated RSA training course gives hospitality staff real-world tools and guidance needed to step in, defuse trouble and assist their patrons when it counts.”

“One of the key priorities in the NSW Government’s 24-Hour Economy Strategy is safety for night-time workers and these changes are all about ensuring workers can look after their colleagues and customers.”

Developed by Liquor & Gaming NSW in collaboration with Good Night Out, an international organisation committed to preventing gender-based violence in night-time settings, the new course includes:

• Insights into how alcohol can impair consent and how coercion can be masked.
• Clear messaging that alcohol is not the cause of sexual violence, nor a legitimate excuse for perpetrators.
• Procedures for staff to respond effectively when patrons report sexual harassment, assault or suspected drink-spiking, including connecting them with appropriate support services.

NSW Women’s Safety Commissioner Hannah Tonkin said: “There should be no places or spaces where women in NSW feel unsafe. Everyone should feel confident that they’ll be safe when they’re socialising or working in a bar, club, restaurant or pub.

“These changes to RSA training represent an important step in making these spaces safer and more respectful for women. Women will be reassured that staff in licensed venues across NSW will now receive enhanced RSA training, and that this will better equip staff to recognise and respond to unsafe or unacceptable behaviour.”

Full Stop Australia CEO Karen Bevan also welcomed the introduction of the updated RSA content: “Full Stop Australia welcomes the addition of new and updated sexual violence prevention and response content in the Responsible Service of Alcohol framework. We were pleased to support the development of the content.”

She also emphasised the positive impact of these reforms: “Ensuring hospitality staff are equipped to respond sensitively and safely to disclosures of sexual violence is a positive step towards improving outcomes for victim‑survivors. Nights out should be fun and safe for everyone. This change is a step in the right direction to ensure the safety of all workers and patrons in NSW venues.”

In addition to RSA upgrades, licence-holder training has been updated to comply with the federal Respect@Work legislation. This requires businesses to proactively address workplace sexual harassment through relevant education and training for all employees.

Updated materials now include guidance on both employee workplace safety and patron safety obligations.

These reforms complement existing NSW initiatives such as Think Safe to Drink Safe and Ask for Angela underscoring the government’s ongoing commitment to a safer, more inclusive night-time economy.

Approved training providers are now required to incorporate the updated content into all RSA courses, marking a significant step forward for the NSW hospitality sector in addressing and preventing sexual violence.