As the holiday season approaches, whether it’s Christmas, Easter, or other major breaks, many businesses experience the same challenge: reduced staff numbers. Employees take well-deserved time off, leaving smaller teams to cover the workload. While this is normal, it also creates an overlooked risk: new lone workers.

New data from Safe Work Australia’s 2024 WHS prosecutions dashboard reveals some hard truths: workplace incidents are not just costly, they’re increasingly common. And largely preventable. Across Australia, 317 WHS prosecutions were recorded this past year. That’s up again from previous years, reflecting a worrying trend: safety breaches are still happening at scale, and organisations are being held accountable.

This article is written to act as a practical guide for leaders who know that policies alone won’t protect their people. Whether your team works in healthcare, retail, community services or regional fieldwork, lone working is more common than you might think. From support workers visiting homes to employees locking up alone at night, more and more staff are operating without backup.