By Lauren Bailey
VP of State Legal & Regulatory Affairs
Starting June 2, 2025, retail employers in New York (including dealers) will be subject to one of the most comprehensive workplace safety mandates in the country. The newly enacted Retail Worker Safety Act (RWSA) is designed to confront the risk of workplace violence, and it places significant new responsibilities on retail businesses to keep their employees safe.
Who Is Covered?
The RWSA applies to any retail employer in New York with 10 or more employees. The definition of “retail” is broad, covering a wide range of establishments that sell goods directly to consumers and includes dealerships.
What Does the Law Require?
1. A Written Workplace Violence Prevention Policy
Every covered employer must develop, implement, and maintain a written workplace violence prevention policy tailored to their specific operations. This policy must be shared with employees upon hire and during training. It must:
- Identify specific workplace risks.
- Outline procedures to reduce or eliminate those risks.
- Include clear instructions for reporting threats or incidents.
- Emphasize zero tolerance for retaliation.
2. Employee Training
Training is no longer just a best practice for New York dealers; it’s a legal requirement. All applicable retail employees must receive training on workplace violence prevention, including de-escalation tactics, active shooter drills, emergency protocols, and how to access help quickly.
The frequency of training depends on employer size. Those with 50 or more employees must conduct training annually. Employers with fewer than 50 employees must train every two years. Regardless of cadence, the content must be robust and actionable.
3. Silent Response Buttons
One of the most significant forward-looking components of this new law is the requirement for large retail employers, which are those with 500 or more employees statewide, to provide silent response buttons by January 1, 2027.
These devices must enable employees to discreetly summon help during an emergency. The law is flexible about the form: buttons can be physical, wearable, mobile, or integrated into fixed locations. The key is rapid access to assistance without escalating the situation.
Why This Matters
Beyond compliance, the RWSA marks a cultural shift in the workplace and puts workplace safety on par with other core operational concerns. This isn’t just about checking boxes. Rather, it is about changing how employers prepare, respond, and lead.
Failure to comply could expose employers to significant enforcement actions. But more importantly, failing to act and abide by this new law puts employee well-being at risk and, in some cases, puts lives in jeopardy.
How ComplyAuto Can Help
At ComplyAuto, we’ve built Workforce, our workplace compliance platform, to meet the demands of laws just like the RWSA. Our tools help employers:
- Build and distribute compliant workplace safety policies.
- Schedule, track, and document required employee training.
- Maintain secure digital logs of employee acknowledgments and incidents.
- Prepare for future requirements — like silent response button access — with clarity and strategy.
With Workforce, you don’t need to reinvent your safety protocols from scratch — you can start with smart, customizable templates and tools designed specifically for the retail environment.
Reach out to ComplyAuto today to ensure you are ready for New York’s RWSA by the June 2nd effective date.