Workplace Violence Prevention Law
Effective July 1st, 2024: California has enacted a new workplace violence prevention law, SB 553/California Labor Code Section 6401.9, which requires nearly all California employers to develop and implement a written workplace violence prevention plan.
Some of the Requirements:
Employers are also required to provide annual training to employees and maintain a log of incidents of workplace violence. Employers must immediately report to Cal/OSHA any serious injury or illness or death of an employee, occurring in the place of employment or in connection with any employment. This includes any incidents resulting from workplace violence.
Timeline:
Employers had only until July 1st, 2024, to develop and implement their plan.
In addition, they were required to provide their first round of training as well.
The Training topics included are:
- Employer's plan and how employees can obtain a copy of the plan free of charge.
- Any corrective measures the employer has taken.
- Instructions on how to report any workplace violence incidents or hazards.
- Strategies to avoid physical harm.
- Workplace Violence, how to seek assistance to prevent or respond.
- Employers must also inform employees about the violent incident long and how they can obtain a copy.
Additional Training:
Additional Training is required in the following instances:
- If there are any new workplace violence hazards
- If there are newly identified/previously unrecognized workplace violence hazards
- Or when there are changes to the plan.
Important Considerations:
**Employers must retain training records for at least 1 year.
**It is important to note that this is not legal advice and just a summary of some key elements of the new plan. Please consult with an attorney or the State regarding the full requirements and any questions you may have.
