Gen Z workers are more likely to witness workplace violence—but not speak up

In September, New York enacted a law designed to protect retail workers from violence on the job. The Retail Worker Safety Act requires companies with 10 or more employees to adopt a clear workplace violence prevention policy, as well as a training program and even a panic button system in large workplaces.

The law comes on the heels of a similar measure in California—and an uptick in workplace violence across retail jobs, especially following the pandemic. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, about two million American workers experience some kind of violence at work annually, not including incidents that go unreported. But many retail workers, in particular, were subjected to harassment and abuse from customers at the height of the pandemic and found that the challenges they already faced on the job were exacerbated.

A Generational Divide

In a new report, compliance training company Traliant found that younger workers are much more likely to be trained on workplace violence prevention, indicating that more companies are investing in these programs. But those same workers are less inclined to report incidents at work, even as 38% of Gen Z workers claim to have witnessed acts of violence against their colleagues.

In fact, nearly half of Gen Z workers say they would not report concerns about workplace violence—whether it impacted them or a colleague—unless they could keep it anonymous, as compared to just 19% of Baby Boomers who said the same. The vast majority of incidents witnessed by respondents were committed by either customers (40%) or employees (29%) at the company.

While most retail employees surveyed—about 78%—said they had been trained on workplace violence, those programs did not always adequately prepare workers to respond to incidents. Again, younger workers were less likely to feel “extremely or very confident” in their abilities to deescalate a situation that could turn violent. Regardless of age, retail employees expressed a desire to have clear plans and procedures in place. Nearly 60% also said they would feel safer at work if the company culture explicitly encouraged them to report incidents, while 56% were in favor of physical security measures.

A change in culture

In industries like retail, where workers are often instructed to listen to the customer, trainings alone don’t necessarily translate to a broader culture shift that empowers employees to speak up when faced with workplace abuse or violence. Only 38% of respondents felt like their employer was “extremely supportive” of workers raising concerns, without fear of retaliation.

Many retail workers already face hurdles to securing higher wages and workplace protections, making them less likely to alert their employers to issues like workplace violence. That’s where laws like the Retail Worker Safety Act could help raise awareness and secure concrete safety measures, if this kind of legislation gains traction in other states. Retail workers seem to agree: According to Traliant’s report, 94% of people surveyed believe other states should introduce laws similar to the one recently enacted in New York.