By Rachel Conn and Andrea Chavez
On May 29, 2025, the New York State Department of Labor (NYDOL) published Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), a template retail workplace violence prevention policy, and model training materials regarding the Retail Worker Safety Act, offering critical guidance for retail employers ahead of the law’s June 2, 2025 effective date.
The Act applies to employers with 10 or more retail employees in New York State. A “retail employee” is defined as an employee working at a retail store for an employer. A “retail store” refers to an establishment that sells consumer commodities at retail and is not primarily engaged in selling food for consumption on the premises.
FAQs Key Takeaways
- Threshold for Applicability
The Act applies to employers with 10 or more retail employees statewide, even if those employees are distributed across multiple store locations.
- Clarity on Who Is Considered a “Retail Employee”
The FAQs clarify that: Continue reading