New York City transit workers faced workplace violence at an exorbitant rate during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study published Wednesday in the Journal of Urban Health.
Around 90% of mass transit operators experienced some type of violence or harassment on the job between 2020 and 2023, the study states. Female employees made up most of the victims.
The study, led by researchers from New York University’s School of Global Public Health, found that 89% of mass transit workers reported being victimized at work. Around 48% of workers surveyed reported verbal harassment or physical assault, just over 20% of workers said they experienced theft and 6.3% reported being sexually assaulted.
“The proportion of public-facing transit workers who have experienced violence or harassment is remarkably high, and far exceeds the rates of attacks against other workers,” Robyn Gershon, clinical professor of epidemiology at the NYU School of Global Public Health, said in a statement.
Ms. Gershon and her team surveyed 1,297 transit workers in late 2023 and early 2024 to study the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on subway and bus operators.
The researchers said New York City has since implemented improved safety measures to protect public transit workers.
“Despite important strides being made to protect the health and safety of this vital workforce, much more work remains to ensure the safest possible workplace for these dedicated and essential workers,” Ms. Gershon stated.