New York Extends Deadline for the Retail Worker Safety Act
New York employers have been preparing their workplace violence prevention policies and training programs in anticipation of the New York Retail Worker Safety Act’s (the Act) March 4, 2025, effective date. However, just 18 days before most provisions are set to take effect, Governor Hochul signed an amendment to the Act into law. Most notably, the amendment extends the Act’s effective date to June 2, 2025.
As anticipated, the amendment removes the term “panic buttons” and replaces it with “silent response buttons.” Silent response buttons request immediate assistance from a security officer, manager, or supervisor, while the currently required panic buttons would contact the local 911 public safety answering point to dispatch law enforcement. The amendment also limits the silent response button requirement to employers with 500 or more retail employees statewide. Previously, employers with more than 500 retail employees nationwide would be subject to the panic button requirement. The January 1, 2027, effective date for requiring silent response buttons remains unchanged.
The amendment also decreases training requirements for employers with less than 50 retail employees. Those employers need only offer workplace violence prevention training upon hire and every two years thereafter, as opposed to annually.
Additionally, the amendment limits the number of languages in which the New York Department of Labor (DOL) must publish model policies and training programs to the twelve most common non-English languages spoken by limited-English proficient individuals in the state. This, in turn, limits the languages in which employers must provide the required training and notice to their employees. As of February 21, 2025, however, the DOL has not yet released its model policies or training.
While employers now have more time to prepare their workplace violence prevention policies and training programs, they should continue their compliance efforts as June 2nd is not too far away. For more information on the Act, see our previous client alert or contact your Vorys attorney.
