Laws and regulations · Policy and compliance
New York Retail Worker Safety Act: what Labor Law 27-e requires
| Jurisdiction | New York |
|---|---|
| Citation | Labor Law section 27-e (Retail Worker Safety Act) |
| Status | Section 27-e is published as current law on the New York State Senate site, with Department of Labor model training and an FAQ available. |
| Official text | https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/LAB/27-E |
New York’s Retail Worker Safety Act, Labor Law section 27-e, requires covered retail employers to train every employee on workplace violence. It covers employers with 10 or more retail employees in the state (NY DOL FAQ). Training starts at hire, repeats on a schedule set by employer size, and must include de-escalation tactics.
Who it covers
The law only covers employers with 10 or more retail employees in New York State (NY DOL FAQ). The count is retail employees across the business, so a small chain can be covered even when no single store reaches the line. A store manager who is unsure should ask how many retail employees the company has in New York, not how many are on the local schedule.
What the training must include
The Department of Labor lists the required content, starting with the requirements of the Act, measures retail workers can take to protect themselves when faced with workplace violence, and de-escalation tactics (NY DOL). The same list continues with active shooter events, emergency procedures and exits, and how to use security alarms or buttons. Each item is its own block of content. A video on active shooter response does not cover de-escalation, and a de-escalation module does not teach the store’s alarm.
How often, and how it is delivered
All covered employers train every employee upon hire, and employers with 50 or more retail employees then train once a year (NY DOL). Employers with 49 or fewer retail employees provide the training every two years (NY DOL FAQ). Training takes place during paid work time and must be interactive (NY DOL). The state publishes an interactive model training at no cost to retail employers, which a store can use as the base and then add its own alarm locations, exits, and reporting names.
| Requirement | Who | When |
|---|---|---|
| Train every employee | Employers with 10 or more NY retail employees | Upon hire |
| Refresher training | Employers with 50 or more retail employees | Once a year |
| Refresher training | Employers with 49 or fewer retail employees | Every two years |
| Silent response button access | Employers with 500 or more employees | By January 1, 2027 |
| Incident records | Recommended, not required | Ongoing |
The silent response button
Employers with 500 employees or more must give employees access to a silent response button by January 1, 2027 (NY DOL FAQ). The button lets an associate call for help without saying a word to the person causing the threat. Training on how to use it belongs in the same session as de-escalation, because both end in the same step: get help and get distance.
What it does not require
Keeping records of workplace violence incidents is not required, though the Department of Labor recommends it (NY DOL FAQ). Nothing in the training content asks an associate to intervene physically. Self-protection and de-escalation are about creating distance, getting help, and reporting. An associate who observes, reports, and never chases is doing what the training teaches.
What a store should do this week
- Confirm the company’s New York retail headcount to know which training cadence applies.
- Pull hire dates for the current roster and list anyone not yet trained.
- Download the state’s model training and mark where store-specific content goes: alarm locations, exits, the manager’s name.
- Schedule the training as paid time, not homework.
- Start a simple incident record so next year’s refresher uses real store examples.
- Rehearse the reporting line in a huddle using loss prevention huddle talking points.
How it fits the rest of the program
The required de-escalation content is a training topic, not a policy. Pair it with the customer aggression policy for retail associates so associates know the store’s line before the session. For the training design itself, see workplace violence de-escalation training for retail, and for the wider set of threats, the workplace violence topic hub.