New York Retail Worker Safety Act

The Retail Worker Safety Act is designed to enhance protections for retail employees in New York State by requiring businesses to implement new safety measures, with a particular focus on preventing workplace violence. The law was passed in response to the rising number of incidents involving harassment, assault, and other safety concerns in retail environments.

The key provisions of the law include:

• Workplace violence prevention plans: Employers must develop and maintain a documented plan outlining how they will address and mitigate risks of workplace violence.
• Incident reporting protocols: Companies must establish clear procedures for employees to report workplace violence and harassment incidents. In particular, New York retailers with 500 or more employees nationwide are required to implement Silent Response Buttons (SRBs).
• Employee Training Requirements: Employers are required to provide workplace violence prevention training to all retail workers to help them identify, respond to, and report safety threats.

All New York retail employers with 10 or more employees in New York State.

We’re so glad you asked! Two things:

1. Adopt a workplace violence prevention plan (WVPP): Identify factors that put your retail workers at risk of violence, and outline methods to prevent violence. The WVPP must be provided to employees in writing upon hire and annually thereafter.
2. Provide annual workplace violence prevention training: Topics should include de-escalation tactics, active shooter drills, emergency procedures, use of panic buttons, supervisor responsibilities, and more. It must be interactive, too.

The effective deadline for the workplace violence prevention plan, as well as training component of the law, is June 2, 2025. For New York retailers with >500 employees nationwide, the panic button requirement takes effect on January 1, 2027.