Louisiana’s ‘Behind the Counter Protection Act’: What Retail and Food-Service Employers Need to Know
ogletree.com
On May 22, 2026, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry signed into law legislation providing employees in customer-facing roles with stronger protections against violence at work. The new law expands employee protections and enhances criminal penalties for violence against retail or food-service workers.

Surprisingly this was written by a REPUBLICAN. Not what I’d expect but hey, if it means next time some lady threatens to stab a Starbucks barista for not putting enough caramel in her Frappuccino she gets fined out the ass I’m for it.

  • stephen@lazysoci.alEnglish
    18·
    4 days ago

    I spent more than fifteen years in jobs covered by this bill. I’m unclear as to why I someone assailing me should get a worse penalty than if they were hitting the person running a forklift or behind a non customer facing desk somewhere.

    • TUMBLE_BUS [none/use name]@hexbear.netOPEnglish
      11·
      4 days ago

      People in those positions are less likely to face direct customer hostility shrug-outta-hecks

      Idk, I think making the penalty steeper for people attack some of the most common victims of this abuse could have a deterring effect.

      • regul [any]@hexbear.netEnglish
        22·
        4 days ago

        stiffer penalties have negligible effect on crime

        actually getting caught does

        Louisiana is the most incarcerated state in the nation (which makes it one of, if not the, most-incarcerated place on earth). Longer sentences just means more people in jail for longer to pick cotton at Angola.

        • Le_Wokisme [they/them, undecided]@hexbear.netEnglish
          3·
          3 days ago

          stiffer penalties have negligible effect on crime

          on petty interpersonal crime and heat of the moment rages. I’m all for legal torturous deaths for financial criminals or the Sacklers.