As of June 2, 2025, retail employers in New York State with 10 or more employees need to comply with a new workplace safety law.
The Retail Worker Safety Law, signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul in 2024, is designed to protect retail employees from the growing threats of workplace violence, including theft-related incidents and customer altercations.
The law applies to all retail employers in New York with 10 or more employees. A “retail store” is defined as any business that sells consumer goods directly to customers and is not primarily engaged in food service.
As of June 2, 2025, covered employers must:
- Adopt a Written Workplace Violence Prevention Policy
- This policy must:
- Identify potential risks of violence in the workplace.
- Outline methods to prevent such incidents.
- Include legal protections and remedies for employees.
- Prohibit retaliation against employees who report concerns.
- Employees must receive the written policy at the time of hire and during each training session.
- This policy must:
- Conduct Workplace Violence Prevention Training
- Employers with fewer than 50 employees must train staff upon hire and every two years.
- Employers with 50 or more employees must train staff upon hire and annually.
- Training must be interactive and meet standards set by the New York Department of Labor (NY DOL).
Additionally, by January 1, 2027, employers with 500 or more retail employees in New York must install silent response buttons in the workplace to allow discreet emergency alerts during violent incidents.
This legislation comes in response to increasing reports of violence in retail settings, including organized retail theft and confrontations with customers.
As with previous labor laws, NY DOL is expected to release a model policy and training program, which employers can adopt or use as a guide to develop their own programs.