The New York State Senate and Assembly passed the Retail Worker Safety Act which requires large corporations to install costly panic buttons throughout all workplaces. The bill sits on Governor Kathy Hochul’s desk waiting for a signature with vocal opponents and supporters.
With the news and social media filled with videos of organized retail crime thieves rushing into stores, ransacking, and stealing anything and everything they can carry, it is no surprise that unions and other organizations representing retail workers are alarmed and making moves to protect their workforce.
It is not unusual for everyday Americans just doing their job working in a store to become victims of harassment, theft, and sometimes violence by these serial retail criminals.
With claims that the law will help prevent violent crime and slogans of “Our Safety has No Price Tag” many unions have come out in strong support.
While initially bullish on the bill, Hochul has yet to sign it. She is receiving heavy pushback from businesses related to the costs and practicality and from law enforcement who express concerns with efficiency in responding to crime.
The law would require panic buttons in New York locations of retail stores with 500 or more employees nationwide. Walmart said it opposes the bill because it would create too many false alarms and add cost in an already difficult inflationary and high retail theft business environment.
The bill requires a panic button to be either a physical button installed in the retail store or a wearable or mobile phone-based button worn by the employee.
Law enforcement agencies have taken the position that 911 calls are a more effective way of communicating with law enforcement than panic buttons.
Food Industry Alliance of New York State president and CEO Mike Durant said, "We remain concerned with the panic button mandate and its effectiveness to help protect retail workers and consumers."
On the other side of the panic button debate is the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU). The union represents over 100,000 workers throughout the country and says the panic button will help protect retail workers from violence.
Questions arose over whether grocery stores count as “retail locations” in the law. Shouldn’t grocery store employees be protected in the same way as Walmart workers say some – especially in light of the recent Tops Market racially motivated shooting in Buffalo NY that killed ten people?
The answer is No. Supermarkets are not considered retail locations. The bill defines a "retail store" as a store that "sells consumer commodities at retail and which is not primarily engaged in the sale of food for consumption on the premises."
In addition to the panic button component, the Retail Worker Safety Act (S8358B/A8947C) also that requires retail employers to adopt violence prevention plans, train workers in de-escalation techniques, and provide active shooter training.