New York Retail Worker Safety Act Signed: What It Means

September 4th, 2024, the Retail Worker Safety Act S. 8358B/A. 8947C was signed into law in New York State by Governor Kathy Hochul.

According to the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union, this new law will require corporate retail employers to adopt a violence prevention plan and train workers in de-escalation and active shooters.

For large employers, panic buttons will be required to be in place throughout the workplace. The Union notes that retail violence is a growing workplace issue that the administration put front and center in this legislative session.

The goal of the Retail Worker Safety Act is to put in place protections for both workers and shoppers before incidents happen. This law is designed to help save lives and make shopping safer.

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The RWSA notes that this new law will require the following from retail employers:

1. Adopt a retail workplace violence prevention policy that identifies factors that put retail workers at risk of violence, and outlines methods to prevent violence.

2. Provide annual training for employees on de-escalation tactics, active shooter drills, emergency procedures, use of panic buttons, and more.

3. The Department of Labor will develop templates for the violence prevention policy and training to facilitate employer compliance.

4. All retail employers with more than 500 employees statewide must install panic buttons at easily accessible locations throughout the building or offer wearable or mobile-phone-based panic buttons to all employees.

• Over 80% of respondents are worried about an active shooter coming into their workplace
• Nearly ⅔ of respondents experienced verbal harassment or intimidating conduct from a customer, co-worker, or manager within the last year.
• Only 7% of respondents agreed with the following statement: My employer has made changes in the workplace after a violent incident in order to make my work safer.
• Nearly ¾ of respondents would feel safer if they received regular training on how to be safe in the workplace, including understanding the risks, how to reduce those risks, and what to do in the event violence occurs.

For more information, visit the Retail Worker Safety Act website.