Workforce Bulletin

On September 30, 2026, the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) issued a proposed rule on the “Prevention of Retail Workplace Violence” prior to the upcoming effective date for the New York Retail Worker Safety Act’s (the “Act”) silent response button provision. Beginning January 1, 2027, the Act will require covered retailers to provide a silent response button, a tool that allows employees to discreetly request immediate assistance during emergencies, as we addressed in a past blog post. The proposed rule provides guidance on what counts as a silent response button under the Act, employer coverage, and other important considerations for New York retail employers.  

The New York Retail Worker Safety Act (the “Act”) went into effect  earlier this week, on  June 2, 2025. As we outlined in our recent blog post, the law requires covered retailers to provide certain safety measures for retail store workers, including implementing a written workplace prevention policy and conducting training on the policy. The New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) has now provided guidance and materials on its website.

New Materials

The NYSDOL guidance includes model materials that employers can use or reference when creating materials required under the Act. The model materials include a model workplace violence prevention policy, an interactive video training program, a text version of the training program, and frequently asked questions (FAQs).

As we explained in a previous blog post, last fall, Governor Kathy Hochul signed the New York Retail Worker Safety Act (NYRWSA) into law, obligating employers to provide certain safety measures for retail workers by early March of this year.

But just a few months later, a temporary reprieve came, when lawmakers introduced a bill (“S740” or “the Amendments”) to modify specific details of the original NYRWSA. Just weeks before the original version was to take effect, Governor Hochul signed off on the Amendments, which not only changed some of the law’s original requirements, but also delayed mandatory policy, training, and notice requirements until June 2, 2025.

While portions of our blog post from October 2024 remain accurate, some details have changed. New York retail employers should read on to learn what NYRWSA requires of them, and by when.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and Superintendent of the State Police Colonel Patrick Callahan (who also acts as the State Director of Emergency Management) issued orders this week lifting some closures and reiterating or clarifying others, as follows.

Administrative Order 2020-10

On April 27, 2020, in Administrative Order 2020-10 (“A.O. 10”) , Col. Callahan clarified and amended Executive Order 107 (which we wrote about here).  A.O. 10, which became effective immediately, permits the reopening of certain business operations now deemed “essential retail business,” ...

Featured on Employment Law This Week - New York City has enacted “fair workweek” legislation.

Mayor Bill de Blasio has signed a package of bills into law limiting scheduling flexibility for fast-food and retail employers. New York City is the third major city in the United States, after San Francisco and Seattle, to enact this kind of legislation. The bills require fast-food employers to provide new hires with good-faith estimates of the number of hours that they will work per week and to pay workers a premium for scheduling changes made less than 14 days in advance.

Watch the segment ...