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

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

The law comes after a similar move in California — and a rise in workplace violence across retail operations, especially in the wake of the pandemic. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), approximately two million American workers experience some form of workplace violence each year, not including incidents that go unreported. But many sales workers, in particular, were harassed and harassed by customers during the pandemic and found that the challenges they already faced at work increased.

Generational Divide

In a new report, compliance training firm Traliant found that younger workers are more likely to receive training on workplace violence prevention, indicating that more companies are investing in these programs. But those same employees are less willing to report incidents at work, as 38% of Gen Z employees say they have witnessed acts of violence against their colleagues.

In fact, nearly half of Gen Z workers say they won’t report concerns about workplace violence—whether it affects them or a co-worker—unless they can keep it anonymous, compared to just 19% of millennials who say the same. Most of the incidents observed by the respondents were committed by customers (40%) or employees (29%) in the company.

Although the majority of retail workers surveyed—about 78%—said they received training on workplace violence, those programs did not always adequately prepare employees to deal with incidents. Again, young workers may not feel “overly confident or overconfident” about their abilities to defuse a potentially violent situation. Regardless of age, store employees expressed a desire to have clear plans and procedures in place. About 60% also said they would feel safer at work if the company culture clearly encouraged them to report incidents, while 56% agreed with physical safety measures.

A change in culture

In industries like retail, where workers are often told to listen to the customer, training alone does not translate into cultural change that empowers workers to speak up when faced with workplace harassment or violence. Only 38% of respondents felt their employer was “very supportive” of employees raising concerns, without fear of retaliation.

Many retail workers already face challenges to higher wages and workplace protections, making them less likely to alert their employers to issues such as workplace violence. This is where laws like the Retail Worker Safety Act can help raise awareness and secure stronger safety measures, if this type of legislation gains traction in other states. Retailers seem to agree: According to Traliant’s report, 94% of respondents believe other states should introduce laws similar to the one recently enacted in New York.