Are Large Retailers Panicking About New York’s Retail Safety Laws

The Retail Worker Safety Act (RWSA), signed into law by New York’s governor on Sept. 4, includes a number of requirements for the state’s retailers that could be extended to their operations around the country.

Right now the new law’s elements only pertain to stores in the State of New York but some national chains are likely to enforce some of these statutes for all their stores. According to published reports the new law’s requirements include:

• Corporate retail employers with more than 10 employees will be required to adopt a violence prevention plan and train workers in de-escalation and active shooters, effective March 1, 2025.  
• Retail employers with more than 500 employees statewide will need to install panic buttons throughout the workplace by Jan. 1, 2027, the first of its kind regulation in the country. California adopted similar but broader workplace requirements earlier this year but did not mandate panic buttons.
• Retailers must maintain records of violent incidents for at least three years. 
• They must create a retail workplace violence prevention policy that identifies factors that put retail workers at risk of violence, and outlines methods to prevent violence.
• Retailers will be required to provide annual training for employees on de-escalation tactics, active shooter drills, emergency procedures and use of panic buttons, among other things.

“Working to stop retail violence and theft has been a centerpiece of the Governor’s work this legislative session, and with her signature on the Retail Worker Safety Act, our members, retail workers across the state, and shoppers will be safer,” said Stuart Appelbaum, president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) which pushed for the legislation. “The preventative measures this law provides will help stop violence and harassment before it starts, but even more importantly, will more safely assist workers in getting help quickly in the event of an emergency.”