Report highlights generational differences in workplace violence prevention training and reporting

Workplace violence continues to pose a major threat to employees across industries with almost 1 in 4 retail workers having witnessed violent acts to another employee and 12% experiencing violent incidents themselves. That’s according to Traliant’s new “Retail Report: Workplace Violence Prevention Pulse Survey.”

Among other findings, the report reveals how generations perceive violence prevention training and reporting differently. The data comes as federal and state governments are increasingly taking action to increase workplace safety. Most recently, New York signed the Retail Worker Safety Act, requiring employers with more than ten retail employees in the state to implement a workplace violence prevention policy and conduct the initial round of annual workplace violence prevention training by March 2025.

“With the state-led momentum we’re seeing for workplace violence prevention legislation, the expectation for other U.S. states to follow is no longer an “if” but a “when,” says Bailey Whitsitt, Compliance Counsel at Traliant. “Prevention training is a core tenant of a strong workplace violence prevention strategy that not only helps retailers stay ahead of potential legal requirements but creates safer workplaces by educating employees on critical awareness topics and skills to navigate challenging situations in their everyday roles.”

The independent market research firm Researchscape conducted the survey. Respondents were 528 U.S. retail workers from organizations with more than 100 employees. The survey was conducted in October 2024. Read the full report for complete results and details.

In addition to report findings, the infographic below provides information on the types of retailers that must comply with the New York law and what their workplace violence prevention programs should include to protect their teams.

How Traliant can help

After leading the industry in the delivery of a comprehensive and compliant employee training solution to meet California’s stringent workplace violence prevention law, we are again at the forefront of a compliance training solution to fulfill the New York Retail Worker Safety Act. The course was created with the oversight of our in-house team of legal experts, which can be tailored to your workplace violence prevention policies. It will equip your employees and managers with the crucial knowledge and skills needed to stay safe. Specifically, the training will cover:

Information on the requirements of the New York Retail Worker Safety Act
Examples of measures retail employees can use to protect themselves against workplace violence from customers or other coworkers
De-escalation tactics
Active shooter drills
Emergency procedures, including workplace-specific emergency exits and meeting places
Instruction on the use of security alarms, panic buttons and other related emergency devices

Click here for more information on our Workplace Violence Prevention training.