Retail Worker and Consumer Safety Violence Prevention Act established, report required, and penalties imposed.
Impact
If enacted, HF3528 would introduce significant changes to the responsibilities of retail establishments in Minnesota. Retailers will be obligated to establish and maintain written incident response plans by January 1, 2025, and these plans will need to involve input from retail employees and safety experts. The legislation emphasizes not just the creation of these plans but also mandates that stores document employee concerns about staffing levels related to potential violence and outlines procedures for escalating such concerns without fear of retaliation.
Summary
House File 3528, known as the Retail Worker and Consumer Safety Violence Prevention Act, focuses on improving safety for retail employees in Minnesota. The bill sets forth a requirement for retail stores to develop a comprehensive action plan aimed at preventing violence in the workplace. This action plan must be tailored to the specific risks associated with their operations and reviewed annually, ensuring that safety protocols are continuously updated and effective in responding to incidents of violence against retail workers.
Contention
The bill also includes provisions that deter retaliation against employees reporting incidents or expressing concerns about violence hazards in their workplaces. However, the effectiveness of these measures may depend on the commitment of both management and employees to engage in open communication and cooperation. There may be some contention around the implementation of these requirements, especially concerning the resources retailers need to allocate for training and maintaining compliance with the new regulations.
Legislative process
As of its introduction, HF3528 has been referred to the Committee on Labor and Industry Finance and Policy, indicating that there will be further discussion and possible amendments before it reaches a vote. The potential impact on small and large retail businesses may become a significant point of debate, balancing the need for employee safety with operational costs.
Hospital and violence intervention team safety requirements established, hospitals required to have a secure online portal for reporting of violence incidents and threats of violence, de-escalation training required for all hospital health care workers, and report required.
Keeping Nurses at the Bedside Act of 2023; hospital nurse staffing and nurse workload committees requirements established, core staffing plan requirements modified, commissioner required to grade and publicly disclose hospital compliance, hospital preparedness and incident response action plan requirements modified, nursing facility employee scholarship eligibility modified, hospital nursing and health professional education loan forgiveness programs established/modified, and money appropriated.
Expands the scope of duties for public employers to prevent workplace violence including additional training, the creation of incident logs, expanding inspections and providing the commissioner the ability to enforce such provisions to prevent workplace violence.