Legal Updates for New York: New York Retail Worker Safety Act – New Compliance Date

As a follow-up to our previous newsletter, New York’s Retail Worker Safety Act now has a revised implementation date of June 2, 2025 for the required policy and training programs, giving employers more time to prepare. This law introduces new safety requirements for retail employers to help prevent workplace violence.  The implementation date for providing retail employees with panic buttons to request assistance (January 1, 2027) remains unchanged.

Employers with 10 or more retail employees, excluding businesses primarily selling food for on-site consumption are covered by the new law.

Covered employers must:

• Adopt a Workplace Violence Prevention Policy. Either use the NYS model policy or create a personalized policy that meets the law’s standards.
• Provide Annual Violence Prevention Training. Training must be given at hire and yearly thereafter if employing 50 or more retail employees, or every two years if employing less than 50 retail employees—employers can use the NYS model or develop their own program.
• Distribute Required Notices. Written information about policies and training must be shared with employees upon hire and annually.

Now is the time to start reviewing the NYS model policy and training program or begin developing your own.

New York Mandates Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Program

Starting June 1, 2025, amendments to the New York Warehouse Worker Protection Act will require covered employers to establish a formal Injury Reduction Program aimed at identifying and reducing the risks of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in the workplace. The program will focus on manual material handling tasks that can cause injuries, such as repetitive motions, awkward postures, and excessive force.

The Injury Reduction Program applies to employers with 100 or more employees at a single warehouse distribution center, or 1,000 or more employees across one or more warehouse distribution centers in New York.

Starting February 19, 2025, employers must provide employee training and ensure appropriate staffing for on-site medical offices and first-aid stations.

The initial evaluation to assess ergonomic risks must be completed by June 19, 2025, with follow-up evaluations conducted annually or whenever there are changes to work processes.

Program Requirements Include:

• Worksite evaluations by a qualified ergonomist to identify risk factors like repetitive motions and awkward postures
• Ergonomic controls such as adjusting job pacing, rotating tasks, or redesigning workstations
• Employee training on safety and injury prevention, with annual refreshers
• Ongoing employee involvement in developing and implementing the program
• Documentation transparency, including making evaluations available to employees upon request

Employers must ensure that there is no retaliation against workers for reporting injuries or safety concerns. Any adverse action taken within 90 days of a complaint will be rebuttably presumed to be retaliatory.

Covered employers should begin preparing their program, including reviewing current practices, training programs, and worksite conditions. The first step (assuming the employer provided the required training by February 19, 2025) is to complete the initial worksite evaluation by June 19, 2025.

Rimon Law is here to support your compliance efforts. Contact: Christopher Kelly, Partner or Alyssa Murphy, Human Capital Business Advisor

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This summary is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute legal advice nor does it create an attorney-client relationship with Rimon, P.C. or its affiliates.