Retail Worker Safety Act Update: NY Releases Model Policy and Training Materials

The New York State Department of Labor (NYS DOL) has officially released the model workplace violence prevention policy and training program required under the Retail Worker Safety Act. Earlier this year, we shared news about the Act’s key requirements, and the added amendment that delayed the effective date. The law officially went into effect on June 2, 2025. Retail employers should review these materials and begin the process of tailoring them to their specific operations.

What Does This Mean for You?

If you own or manage a retail business in New York with 10 or more employees and at least one public-facing location, you must comply with this new law. This includes developing a written workplace violence prevention policy, evaluating your site for risk factors, conducting training, and posting required notices.

The state’s model policy and training resources (available on the NYS DOL website) are very helpful and can be used as a framework. However, these are generic documents that don’t fully meet all the requirements, especially when it comes to identifying site-specific risk factors. Each workplace must customize these templates to reflect their facility’s specific layout, staffing structure, job functions, and incident history.

At Walden, we’ve been closely following the development of this regulation and are prepared to help employers navigate the next steps. With the model policy now in hand, our team can assist with:

• Customizing the workplace violence prevention policy to reflect your operations
• Conducting site-specific risk evaluations
• Developing required workplace maps
• Leading personalized training sessions for employees and supervisors

If your facility is subject to this law and you haven’t yet begun the implementation process, now is the time. Enforcement is expected to ramp up soon, and the last thing any employer wants is to be caught off guard by a compliance visit (we can help with that too!).

For support in meeting these requirements or to learn more about how we can help, feel free to contact Walden’s EHS team at 860-846-4069.