The 54-year-old has been working for a major supermarket chain for about three years and hasn't always felt safe in the face of increasing customer aggression and theft.
"People want to go through their whole life story to try to justify their stealing," he told AAP.
"I've had people brush past me, I've been screamed at, I've had someone throw rocks at me in the car park one day.
"We cop it."
The supermarket worker spoke to AAP on the condition that his surname was not published for fear of identification by his employer.
He said the introduction of security gates has further exacerbated the customer aggression problem, effectively trapping workers with agitated thieves.
Going to work the day after an incident has left him with a "sinking feeling" in his stomach.
"People need to know even if you're just a retail worker, you still deserve basic respect," Anthony said.
"You're not a punching bag or an object of abuse for them because they're having a bad day."
His experience is becoming all too common.
A nationwide survey of more than 10,000 retail workers across nine sectors shows almost eight out of 10 are at high risk of harm from psychosocial hazards.
Inadequate staffing was the top hazard, followed by customer aggression, work overload, low job control and poor change management.
Seven out of 10 of the workers reported burnout and a mere six per cent said they would recommend their workplace to others.
The survey, which formed part of a research report from the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association, revealed 49 per cent intended to resign.
The retail sector is the nation's second biggest employer, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Everything has changed over the past decade, with staff expected to pack, move, twist and lift very quickly, one supermarket worker quoted by the union said.
"Even when I was injured, they pushed me to keep up as if nothing had happened," the worker said.
Another complained of being abused daily by customers due to the lack of staff.
The union will unveil a five-point plan and campaign on Tuesday in response to the "alarming" report, calling on regulators, industry and governments to act.
It isn't a "union wishlist" but rather a road map to meet health and safety obligations and protect staff, national secretary Gerard Dwyer said.
"We need urgent, industry-wide action," he said.
NSW passed laws in 2023 to beef up penalties for people who assault retail workers, with at least 25 since sentenced to jail time.
The Victorian government has foreshadowed similar legislative changes to be introduced to state parliament before the end of the year.
FIVE-POINT PLAN FOR SAFE AND HEALTHY RETAIL WORKPLACES:
* Safe staffing levels
* Sustainable workloads
* Support for frontline workers
* Consultation on workplace change
* Collaborative work design
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