Workplace Violence Prevention Programs – Due July 1, 2024

Workplace Violence Prevention Programs Due July 1, 2024

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), workplace violence is the second leading cause of fatal occupational injuries in the United States, affecting nearly 2 million American workers annually. Governor Newsom signed SB 553 as a step in addressing workplace violence by requiring employers to implement and maintain protections for employees while at work.

Workplace violence is defined as any act or threat of violence occurring in a workplace. It includes physical force leading to injury or trauma, incidents involving firearms or weapons, and various types of violence (categorized under Labor Code section 6401.9.)

Effective July 1, 2024, the majority of employers in California must implement or enhance their Violence Prevention Plan to be sure it includes the following:

• The names of persons responsible for implementing the Workplace Violence Prevention Plan (WVPP)

• Effective procedures for employee involvement in developing and implementing the plan.

• Procedures for the employer to handle and respond to reports of workplace violence.

• Prohibitions against employee retaliation.

• Accepting and responding to reports of workplace violence.

• Employee workplace violence training and communication.

• Procedures to ensure compliance from employees, including supervisors.

• Emergency response procedures.

• Workplace violence hazard assessments.

• A Violent Incident Log  – which must include information on every workplace violence incident, even if the incident did not result in injury – and must be maintained for a minimum of five years.

SB 553 provides limited exceptions to this requirement including places of employment with fewer than ten employees that are not accessible to the public, and employees teleworking from a location of their choice which is not under the control of the employer. We recommend seeking legal guidance if you believe your company may be exempt from developing a WVPP.

The WVPP must be specific to the hazards and corrective measures for each work area and operation. There are also specific training requirements that employers must provide to employees using materials that are ‘easy to understand and match the workers’ education, reading skills, and language’.  This training is required initially upon plan roll-out, and annually thereafter. 

We know – it’s a lot!  But Sierra HR Partners is here to help. Please reach out to one of our certified consultants at consultants@sierrahr.com, or call us at 559.431.8090 to request your customized Workplace Violence Prevention Plan as soon as possible to be ready ahead of the July 1^st deadline.