Should the UK take New York’s lead and make panic buttons for retail workers mandatory?

As attacks on retail workers rise across the UK, New York’s decision to mandate panic buttons for frontline staff prompts Alex Jay, CEO of Little Green Button, to ask whether similar protections should be written into UK law.

Attacks on retail workers in the UK have, unfortunately, progressed from the odd isolated incident, to what’s now a routine feature of working life on the shop floor.

According to a recent Retail Trust survey, as many as 77 percent of British retail workers experienced abuse last year, while 23 percent suffered physical assault. And for too many it’s a worryingly frequent reality – 43 percent said they were being abused or attacked every week, and 45% felt the abuse had gotten worse in the last two years.

Despite the escalating scale and regularity of these incidents, the guidance in the UK remains largely generic. Worker safety is governed by the Health and Safety at Work Act and Health and Safety Executive guidance on violence and aggression at work, but these apply across all sectors and don’t reflect the specific risks faced by frontline retail staff.

The result is a system heavily relying on voluntary measures and individual employer judgement, leading to uneven safety outcomes across the sector. This isn’t necessarily due to bad intentions or lack of care – many employers take staff safety seriously and invest accordingly – but where guidance is non-specific and compliance optional, protection often depends on the size, resources and maturity of the organisation. Smaller retailers, in particular, are left to interpret broad legislation and adapt it to high-pressure, high-risk environments with little sector-specific support.

The approach others are taking – and tech’s role

When it comes to abuse statistics within the retail sector, the UK’s far from alone. Approaches to protecting frontline staff, however, differ markedly.

New York’s a key example. Its recently passed Retail Worker Safety Act doesn’t just advise, but mandates policies, training, and procedures designed to keep workers safe, giving companies a clear framework to manage risks that are often left to chance under voluntary guidance.

A key element of the legislation is also technology-based. By 1^st January 2027, large retail employers with 500 or more workers in New York State must provide employees with access to silent response buttons for emergencies. As a proven de-escalation and violence reduction measure, often seeing quicker resolution and response times to other alternatives, UK retail workers should be provided with similar technology, alongside post-incident follow-up, such as CCTV, reporting, HR and other security tools.

However, where precautions are not mandatory, levels of protection often come down to budget. That doesn’t mean meaningful action has to start with a huge investment. An updated risk assessment – asking what risks your staff currently face and whether you have the right process and training in place – is free and a great place to start. From there you can evaluate what technology might help with de-escalation and deterrence.

For me, all staff deserve the same level of protection, regardless of their organisation’s size or location, which is why I believe the UK should follow New York’s lead, not only in terms of legislation, but also in considering the powerful role technology can play.