Most New York employers have Secure Choice deadlines approaching 

The program covers New York employers that meet all of the following criteria:

• Have been in business for at least two years
• Had at least 10 employees at all times in the previous calendar year
• Have not offered a tax-favored retirement plan (e.g., 401(k) plan, 403(b) plan, payroll deduction IRA) in the preceding two years

Employers that don’t meet these criteria are exempt. Employers can either register for the program or certify their exemption on the program’s website.

The deadline for a covered employer to register for the program depends on an employer’s number of employees:

• For employers with 30 or more employees, the deadline is March 18, 2026.
• For employers with 15-29 employees, the deadline is May 15, 2026.
• For employers with 10-14 employees, the deadline is July 15, 2026.

The program will notify employers when it is time to register and will send an access code for the process. (Employers that didn’t receive an access code or can’t find it can request a new one on the website.) Once an employer registers and uploads its employees’ information, the program’s administrator contacts the employees and gives them 30 days to either make contribution and investment choices or opt out of the program. Employees that make no election are automatically enrolled at a 3% contribution rate, with 1% increases every January until the contribution rate reaches 10%. The administrator — not the employer — establishes IRAs for enrolled employees. Employers are responsible for sending payroll deductions, updating any changes to employees’ contribution rates, maintaining employee records, and marking former employees as terminated.