Beginning last week, working in the retail industry or in a warehouse in New York has become safer.
The Retail Worker Safety Act and the Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Act both took effect this week, affording workers across the state new labor protections guaranteed under the law. Both bills were sponsored by State Senator Jessica Ramos and passed by the New York Legislature last June.
The Retail Worker Safety Act, which took effect last Wednesday, mandates that retail employers with 10 or more employees develop comprehensive violence prevention plans, conduct regular risk assessments, and provide training on de-escalation techniques and active shooter scenarios.
Also taking effect last week is the Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Act, which now establishes an industry-wide safety standard for warehouse workers by requiring warehouse employers to implement an injury reduction plan that identifies and minimizes workplace hazards. The law was passed after years of advocacy by the New Yorkers for a Fair Economy (NYFE), a coalition led by ALIGN: The Alliance for a Greater New York, Teamsters Joint Council 16, and the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union.
Both new laws require that injury reduction and injury reduction plans undergo annual evaluations by outside safety experts. The laws also require that retail and warehouse employers provide safety training to all employees. In the case of warehouse employers, they must also now provide an on-site first aid station to be staffed with a medical professional.
“The Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Act clarifies that our loved ones are not products. They should not be returned home broken, bruised, or beaten down,” said Senator Jessica Ramos in a statement shared with Documented. “This legislation sets a strong standard, ensuring warehouses are designed for people, not boxes.”
Additionally, the law requires that retailers with 500 or more employees statewide install silent panic buttons throughout their stores by Jan. 1, 2027, enabling workers to discreetly call for help during an emergency.
“Retail workers should not have to go to work every day in fear, and this law goes a long way towards ending that,” said Stuart Appelbaum, president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), in a statement shared with Documented. “The Retail Worker Safety Act provides for preventative measures that will help deter violence and harassment before it starts and, most importantly, will assist workers in getting help quickly in the event of an emergency.”
FBI data has shown that assaults against employees in grocery stores have risen by 63% from 2018 to 2020. Of the 62 active shooter incidents in 2021, more than half occurred in retail locations.
Immigrant retail worker Nancy Almodovar says the law now gives her a sense of safety she never before felt at the department store where she works.
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“Every day I came to work with a pit in my stomach, not knowing if today would be the day someone got aggressive or violent,” she said in a statement shared with Documented. “We’ve been ignored for too long by our employers, but this law finally says our safety matters. It gives us real tools and real protections, and for the first time in a long time, I feel like someone’s looking out for us.”
Edwin Quezada, a produce manager at Stop & Shop on Long Island, felt similarly.
“I’ve witnessed firsthand the escalating tensions in retail environments,” he said in a statement shared with Documented. “This Act ensures we have the training and tools to handle volatile situations, making our workplaces safer for both employees and customers. We worked hard to see it brought into law, and I’m proud to see it starting to take effect.”
The Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Act aims to reduce the increasing danger of warehouse work, which is one of New York’s most dangerous industries. On average, 1 in 9 warehouse workers are seriously injured every year, more than double the national average.
The rise of Amazon has, in part, fueled the increase in warehouse injuries across the state. A 2022 report found that in Amazon’s New York warehouses, injury rates rose by 64% since 2021. Amazon’s distribution center in Schodack, NY, is among the most dangerous large warehouses in the state, with an injury rate of nearly one injury for every five workers.
“This is a massive victory for the warehouse workers who have endured grueling quotas, dangerous conditions, and a company that values products and productivity over human lives,” said Theodore A. Moore, ALIGN’s executive director, in a statement shared with Documented. “But whether they’re union-busting, denying blame for worker injuries, or abusing their monopoly power, Amazon thinks they’re above the law. We must be vigilant.
Keith Williams, an Amazon warehouse worker and labor leader in the fight to unionize Amazon’s SWF1 Fulfillment Center in Rock Tavern, New York, was injured twice while he worked at the facility between 2023 and 2024. In February 2024, Williams suffered a severe case of tendonitis in his wrist caused by the hours he spent lifting heavy packages. He could not even lift a gallon of milk without his wrist giving out.
“My hands literally broke down, they wouldn’t grip anymore,” he told Documented. “Just the amount of repetitive work — it’s just straining on the body. I’ve worked at several warehouses, and Amazon had the least amount of break time. They see how much they can get out of you with less time and fewer breaks.”
With the Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Act now law, Connor Spence, president of Amazon Labor Union – International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 1, hopes that the law will now hold Amazon accountable.
“The injury crisis at Amazon is severe, widespread, and well-documented,” he said in a statement shared with Documented. “That’s why enforcement of the Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Act, taking effect on June 1st, is so critical.”