New York puts landmark retail worker safety law in place

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the Retail Worker Safety Act (RWSA) into law on Wednesday.

The act requires corporate retail employers to adopt a violence prevention plan, and train workers in de-escalation and active shooters. Large employers must install panic buttons throughout the workplace.

The RWSA centers on preventive action that puts protections for workers and shoppers in retail stores into place before incidents happen. The bill’s sponsors were state Sen. Jessica Ramos and state Assemblymember Karines Reyes.

The bill will also require the New York Department of Labor to put together a training program, and employers will have to maintain records of violent incidents for at least three years.

“Working to stop retail violence and theft has been a centerpiece of the Governor’s work this legislative session, and with her signature on the Retail Worker Safety Act, our members, retail workers across the state, and shoppers will be safer,” said Stuart Appelbaum, president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), which mobilized retail workers across the state to support the measure. “The preventative measures this law provides will help stop violence and harassment before it starts, but even more importantly, will more safely assist workers in getting help quickly in the event of an emergency.”

The bill did face pushback from businesses, some of which said enforcement would lead to extra costs.

Gov. Hochul embedded funding for her retail theft proposal in the state’s $237 billion budget package earlier this year. The move made assaulting a retail employee a felony, created a retail crimes task force led by state police, and instituted a tax credit for small businesses to increase security measures.

More information about the Retail Worker Safety Act can be found at: rwdsu.org/retailworkersafety.