New York Finalizes Guidance for Retail Workplace Violence Prevention Law
Overview
New York’s Retail Worker Safety Act, passed in 2024 and taking effect in part as of June 2, 2025, imposes new workplace violence prevention obligations for certain retail employers. Just days before the effective date, the State issued guidance, including a model policy, model training materials, and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), providing much-needed clarification for covered businesses.
Key Coverage Requirements
- Who Is Covered: Retail businesses with 10 or more retail employees working anywhere within New York State. The term “retail” applies to businesses selling goods directly to the public but excludes businesses that primarily serve food onsite, such as restaurants.
- Counting Employees: Employers must count all retail employees across multiple locations statewide when determining whether they meet the 10-employee threshold.
- Which Employees Count: Only retail employees are included when assessing coverage. Administrative and support staff are excluded for purposes of determining applicability.
Training and Policy Requirements
- Training Frequency:
- For employers with fewer than 50 employees, training must be provided upon hire and every two years thereafter.
- For employers with 50 or more employees, training is required upon hire and annually thereafter.
- For employers with fewer than 50 employees, training must be provided upon hire and every two years thereafter.
- Policy Distribution: Covered employers must distribute their retail workplace violence prevention policy to all employees upon hire and then once annually.
- Language Accessibility: The model policy will eventually be made available in the twelve most common non-English languages spoken by limited-English proficient individuals in the state, though those translations have not yet been released.
Delayed Implementation for Silent Response Buttons
The portion of the law requiring employers to implement silent response buttons remains delayed until January 1, 2027, providing additional time for businesses to prepare for compliance with that mandate.
Practical Considerations for Employers
Retail employers operating in New York should immediately review the newly released guidance and ensure the following steps are in place:
- Confirm whether the business meets the 10-employee threshold for coverage.
- Adopt and distribute a workplace violence prevention policy that meets state requirements.
- Schedule required employee training based on company size.
- Monitor for future updates regarding translated model policies and training materials.
Next Steps
With the law now taking effect, covered New York retail employers should move promptly to implement compliant policies and training protocols. Employers outside of retail are also encouraged to review their workplace safety programs, as the State continues to prioritize workplace violence prevention across industries.
For questions on New York’s workplace violence prevention requirements or assistance with policy development and training, please contact Chaim Book at cbook@booklawllp.com or Sheryl Galler at sgaller@booklawllp.com.
