A two-year trial of Boxing Day trading across the state was extended indefinitely this week.

Under the laws, staff must have a free choice whether to work on the public holiday and businesses face fines of up to $11,000 per employee if they attempt to force them to work.

However, the NSW Government decided against implementing minimum penalties for businesses, which Wagga man Steven Cook said was disappointing.

“I’ve heard many stories of people being harassed or coerced into working on Boxing Day,” Mr Cook said.

“I know the so-called protections in legislation don’t work in practice… speaking out is easier said than done, it’s often a career-ending move.”

However, Nationals MP Wes Fang said there were stringent controls in place to protect Wagga workers.

“I think the freedom of choice for businesses and workers is a great thing,” Mr Fang said. “If anyone is forced into working they should report it to the Fair Work Commission and there are additional penalties in the legislation if that happens. No-one will be forced to open, but they have the ability to open if they choose.”

Labor MP Mick Veitch said the threat of fines wasn’t enough and he had serious concerns about the laws.

“You can have penalties but you also need compliance and prosecution, this is just not good enough,” he said. “That coercion (to work) is pretty substantial, I have genuine concerns that people would be scared about losing future work if they refuse to work.”