New York's Retail Worker Safety Act Becomes Effective as State Releases Model Policy and Model Training

Retail employers should take notice of the model policy and model training related to workplace violence prevention in the retail industry. 

As we previously reported, in September 2024, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the Retail Worker Safety Act, requiring employers with 10 or more retail employees in New York to issue a workplace violence prevention policy and conduct workplace violence prevention training.

The Retail Worker Safety Act mandates that employers with 10 or more retail employees in New York State implement measures to mitigate workplace violence and enhance employee safety. Compliance with the Act requires adopting a retail workplace violence prevention policy and providing employees with relevant training. On May 29, 2025, the New York Department of Labor (NYS DOL) launched a website providing key resources such as a model policy, model training, and FAQs to assist employers in meeting these requirements. The new law became effective June 2, 2025.

Covered Employers

The new law covers all employers with at least 10 retail employees in New York. The law defines "retail employee" as an employee who works at a retail store, meaning "a store that sells consumer commodities at retail and which is not primarily engaged in the sale of food for consumption on the premises."

Policy Requirements

Covered employers must adopt a retail workplace violence prevention policy and provide that policy to employees annually and upon hire. Covered employers must provide the policy in English and in an employee's primary language, as indicated by the employee upon hiring, if it is one of the languages for which the NYS DOL has provided a translation.

As of the date of this advisory, the NYS DOL website currently contains a model policy in English and Spanish. While the new law directed the NYS DOL Labor Commissioner, in crafting a model policy (and training), to determine the "twelve most common non-English languages spoken by limited-English proficient individuals in the state," no other translations have currently been published on the NYS DOL website. 

Covered employers may also develop their own policy, so long as it meets or exceeds the minimum requirements of the model policy and includes the following:

• A list of factors or situations that might place retail employees at risk of workplace violence, including, but not limited to: (i) working late night or early morning hours; (ii) exchanging money with the public; (iii) working alone or in small numbers; and (iv) uncontrolled access into the workplace.
• Methods the employer may use to prevent incidents of workplace violence including, but not limited to, establishing and implementing systems for employees to report incidents of workplace violence.
• Information about federal and state laws concerning violence against retail workers, the remedies available to victims of workplace violence, and a statement that there may be applicable local laws concerning violence against retail workers.
• A statement that retaliation against workers who complain about workplace violence or situations that may give rise to workplace violence is against the law.

Training Requirements

Covered employers are also required to provide retail workplace violence prevention training to their retail employees upon hiring. Subsequently, covered employers with 50 or more retail employees must conduct this training annually, while those with 49 or fewer retail employees are required to provide the training every two years.

Like the policy, covered employers must provide a written retail workplace violence training template in English and in an employee's primary language, as indicated by the employee upon hiring, if it is one of the languages for which the NYS DOL has provided a translation. As of the date of this advisory, the NYS DOL website currently contains a model training in English and Spanish. 

Covered employers may also develop their own training so long as it is interactive and meets the law's minimum standards, including: (i) information on the requirements of Retail Worker Safety Act; (ii) examples of measures retail employees can use to protect themselves when faced with workplace violence from customers or other coworkers; (iii) de-escalation tactics; (iv) active shooter drills; (v) emergency procedures; (vi) instruction on the use of security alarms or buttons and other related emergency devices; and (vii) a site-specific list of emergency exits and meeting places in case of emergency.

Upcoming Requirements for Large Retail Employers

Beginning January 1, 2027, retail employers in New York with 500 or more employees must: 

• Equip employees with a silent response button that can summon immediate assistance from a security officer, manager, or supervisor during emergencies.
• Provide training to employees on how to effectively use the silent response button.

DWT will continue to monitor this new law and provide updates as needed. In the meantime, if you have any questions about your company's compliance, please contact a member of the DWT employment services group.