New York Retail Worker Safety Act

The New York Retail Worker Safety Act (RWSA) introduces requirements aimed at reducing workplace violence and improving employee safety in retail environments.

While several provisions of the Act are already in effect, an important additional requirement is approaching: Starting January 1, 2027, retail employers with 500 or more retail employees in New York State must provide employees with access to a silent response button and provide training on its use.

For affected retailers, this means deciding how employees will be able to request immediate assistance and how those alerts will be handled across their locations.

This article provides an overview of the key requirements, the available options for silent response buttons and what retailers should consider before the January 1, 2027 deadline.

Silent Response Button requirement at a glance

What is the New York Retail Worker Safety Act?

The Retail Worker Safety Act is part of New York Labor Law Section 27-e and is intended to reduce the risk of workplace violence in retail environments.

The Act applies to employers with 10 or more retail employees in New York State. Covered employers are required to adopt a retail workplace violence prevention policy and provide employees with workplace violence prevention training.

For larger retail employers, an additional requirement takes effect on January 1, 2027. Employers with 500 or more retail employees statewide in New York must provide employees with access to a silent response button that allows them to request immediate assistance from a security officer, manager or supervisor in an emergency.

What changes on January 1, 2027?

Starting January 1, 2027, retail employers with 500 or more retail employees in New York State must provide employees with access to a silent response button and train employees on how to use it.

The silent response button must allow an employee to request immediate assistance from a security officer, manager or supervisor while working at their location in case of an emergency.

Importantly, the law does not prescribe one specific technical solution. A silent response button may be:

• a physical button installed in an easily accessible location in the workplace;
• a wearable device; or
• a mobile phone application.

This gives retailers flexibility in how they implement the requirement across different store environments. A physical button may be appropriate for fixed locations such as checkout areas or customer service desks, while mobile or wearable solutions may be more suitable for employees who move throughout a store.

For retailers with multiple locations, the requirement therefore involves more than simply purchasing a panic button. They also need to decide where employees need access, which solution fits each working environment and who should receive and respond to an alert.

Does the silent response button have to contact 911?

No.

Under the current version of the New York Retail Worker Safety Act, the silent response button is intended to let an employee request immediate assistance from a security officer, manager or supervisor.

This is an important distinction because earlier versions of the legislation referred to panic buttons that would contact emergency services. The current requirement instead focuses on a discreet request for internal assistance.

For retailers, this means the response process needs to be defined before the emergency notification system is implemented. Relevant questions include:

• Who should receive an alert at each store?
• Should Store Management, Loss Prevention or Security be notified?
• Should several people receive the alert at the same time?
• What happens if the first responder does not acknowledge the alert?
• How can responders quickly identify where the alert was triggered?

The technical trigger is therefore only one part of the solution. Retailers also need a clear process for routing, acknowledging and responding to alerts.

Are mobile apps allowed as silent response buttons?

Yes.

The New York Retail Worker Safety Act explicitly allows a mobile phone application to be used as a silent response button.

However, there are two important requirements retailers need to consider.

First, mobile phone-based silent response buttons may only be installed on employer-provided equipment. This means retailers should not rely on employees’ personal smartphones when implementing a mobile solution for this requirement.

Second, mobile phone-based and wearable silent response buttons may not be used to continuously track employee locations. Location tracking is only permitted when the silent response button has been triggered.

For retailers evaluating a mobile solution, this makes device ownership and location permissions important parts of the implementation process.

A mobile approach may be particularly useful for employees who move throughout a store or for managers, supervisors and security personnel who already use company-provided smartphones as part of their work.

How many physical silent response buttons does a store need?

The New York Retail Worker Safety Act does not specify a fixed number of physical silent response buttons that must be installed in each retail location.

Instead, affected employers must provide employees with access to a silent response button. When a physical solution is used, the button must be installed in an easily accessible location in the workplace.

The appropriate number and placement of buttons will therefore depend on the individual store environment.

Retailers should consider factors such as:

• the size and layout of the store;
• where employees typically work;
• whether employees can reach a button quickly and discreetly;
• areas where interactions with customers are more likely to occur; and
• whether additional buttons are needed in separate or less accessible areas.

Potential locations may include checkout areas, customer service desks, back offices or other defined work areas.

For multi-location retailers, this means the implementation should be planned at store level rather than simply applying the same number of buttons to every location. The objective is to ensure that employees can access the silent response function when they need it.

What else does the Retail Worker Safety Act require?

The silent response button is only one part of the New York Retail Worker Safety Act.

Employers with 10 or more retail employees in New York State are also required to implement a workplace violence prevention policy and provide workplace violence prevention training to employees.

The New York State Department of Labor provides model materials and guidance for these requirements, including a model workplace violence prevention policy and training materials.

For larger retailers, the silent response button requirement is an additional obligation that takes effect on January 1, 2027.

This means affected retailers should view the silent response button as one component of a broader workplace violence prevention program. Selecting and implementing the right technical solution is important, but it does not replace the employer’s policy, training and organizational responsibilities under the Act.

Can safeREACH support the Silent Response Button requirement?

Yes. safeREACH can be configured to support the Silent Response Button requirement under the New York Retail Worker Safety Act.

Retailers can use the safeREACH Wi-Fi Alarm Button as a physical silent response button at defined locations within a store. Pressing the button discreetly triggers a predefined alert scenario and notifies the designated responders.

For employees using company-provided smartphones, the safeREACH Alert App can also be used to trigger a predefined silent alert directly from the mobile device.

Depending on the retailer’s setup, alerts can be routed to designated internal responders such as:

• Store Managers
• Security personnel
• Loss Prevention or Asset Protection teams
• Supervisors
• other predefined response groups

safeREACH also supports the processes that follow the initial alert. This can include predefined recipient groups, acknowledgements, escalation paths and further communication between the people responsible for responding.

A typical setup could therefore look like this:

1. Employee triggers a silent alert
2. Designated responders are notified
3. The alert is acknowledged
4. The predefined response process begins.

This makes it possible to connect the silent response button with an organized internal response process rather than treating the button as a standalone device.

The Retail Worker Safety Act includes additional requirements related to workplace violence prevention policies and employee training. safeREACH therefore supports the technical silent response button component and does not by itself replace the other obligations under the Act.

How should retailers prepare for January 1, 2027?

For retailers affected by the new requirement, implementation involves both technical and organizational decisions. Especially across multiple stores, these decisions should be made early enough to allow time for rollout, testing and employee training.

A practical implementation process can include the following steps:

1. Identify where silent response access is needed

Review store layouts and working environments to determine where employees may need to request assistance. This also helps determine whether physical buttons, mobile solutions or a combination of both are appropriate.

2. Define who should receive an alert

Determine which roles should respond when an employee triggers an alert. Depending on the organization, this may include Store Managers, Security, Loss Prevention, Asset Protection or other designated personnel.

3. Define the response process

The alert itself should initiate a clear process. Retailers should determine who responds first, how an alert is acknowledged and what should happen if the initial recipients are unavailable.

4. Configure and test the solution

Physical buttons and mobile triggers should be tested in the environments where they will actually be used. For multi-location retailers, this should include confirming that responders can quickly identify which store or area generated an alert.

5. Train employees

Employees need to understand how to access and use the silent response button and what to expect after triggering an alert. Training on the use of the silent response button is also specifically required under the Retail Worker Safety Act.

Completing these steps before the deadline gives retailers the opportunity to identify gaps and adjust their setup before the requirement takes effect.

Choosing between physical and mobile silent response buttons

There is no single setup that will be right for every retailer.

Physical silent response buttons can be particularly suitable for fixed work areas where employees need quick and discreet access to an alarm trigger without using another device.

Mobile silent response buttons can provide greater flexibility for employees who move throughout a store, provided the solution runs on employer-provided equipment.

For many retailers, a combination may be appropriate. Physical buttons can protect defined areas of a store, while mobile access can complement them for selected employees or roles.

The important consideration is not simply which type of button is used, but whether employees can reliably request assistance and whether the organization has a clear process for responding.

This article provides general information about the New York Retail Worker Safety Act and does not constitute legal advice. Requirements may depend on an organization’s individual circumstances. Employers should review the applicable law and current guidance from the New York State Department of Labor and consult qualified legal counsel where appropriate.