A 4936: Requires training to reduce abusive conduct and bullying in the workplace as part of a written workplace violence prevention program.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 4936 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY February 10, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. BRONSON, SHIMSKY, LUNSFORD, RAGA, STECK, SANTA- BARBARA, SIMON, ZINERMAN, GLICK, DAVILA, PHEFFER AMATO, REYES, ALVA- REZ, JENSEN, ROSENTHAL, LUCAS, JACOBSON, TAYLOR -- read once and referred to the Committee on Labor AN ACT to amend the labor law, in relation to requiring training to reduce abusive conduct and bullying in the workplace The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subdivisions 3, 4, and 5 of section 27-b of the labor law, 2 as added by chapter 82 of the laws of 2006, are amended to read as 3 follows: 4 3. Risk evaluation and determination. Every employer shall evaluate 5 its workplace or workplaces to determine the presence of factors or 6 situations in such workplace or workplaces that might place employees at 7 risk of occupational assaults and homicides. Examples of such factors 8 shall include, but not be limited to: 9 a. working in public settings (e.g., social services or other govern- 10 mental workers, police officers, firefighters, teachers, public trans- 11 portation drivers, health care workers, and service workers); 12 b. working late night or early morning hours; 13 c. exchanging money with the public; 14 d. working alone or in small numbers; 15 e. abusive conduct and bullying in the workplace; 16 f. uncontrolled access to the workplace; and 17 [f.] g. areas of previous security problems. 18 4. Written workplace violence prevention program. Every employer with 19 at least twenty full time permanent employees shall develop and imple- 20 ment a written workplace violence prevention program for its workplace 21 or workplaces that includes the following: 22 a. a list of the risk factors identified in subdivision three of this 23 section that are present in such workplace or workplaces; EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD08767-01-5 
 A. 4936 2 1 b. the methods the employer will use to prevent incidents of occupa- 2 tional assaults and homicides at such workplace or workplaces, including 3 but not limited to the following: 4 (1) making high-risk areas more visible to more people; 5 (2) installing good external lighting; 6 (3) using drop safes or other methods to minimize cash on hand; 7 (4) posting signs stating that limited cash is on hand; 8 (5) providing training in conflict resolution and nonviolent self-de- 9 fense responses; and 10 (6) establishing and implementing reporting systems for incidents of 11 aggressive behavior, abusive conduct, and bullying. 12 5. Employee information and training. a. Every employer with at least 13 twenty permanent full time employees shall make the written workplace 14 violence prevention program available, upon request, to its employees, 15 their designated representatives and the department. 16 b. Every employer shall provide its employees with [the following] 17 information and training on preventing and reporting workplace bullying 18 and abusive conduct and the risks of occupational assaults and homicides 19 in their workplace or workplaces at the time of their initial assignment 20 and annually thereafter: 21 (1) employees shall be informed of the requirements of this section, 22 the risk factors in their workplace or workplaces, and the location and 23 availability of the written workplace violence prevention program 24 required by this section; and 25 (2) employee training shall include at least: (a) how how to identify 26 and report workplace bullying and abusive conduct and the measures 27 employees can take to protect themselves from such risks, including 28 specific procedures the employer has implemented to protect employees, 29 such as appropriate work practices, emergency procedures, use of securi- 30 ty alarms and other devices, and (b) the details of the written work- 31 place violence prevention program developed by the employer. 32 § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after 33 it shall have become a law.