CALIFORNIA EMPLOYERS are fast approaching another important compliance deadline under the state’s workplace violence prevention law.
By July 1, employers with 10 or more employees must provide annual workplace violence prevention training to staff and review their workplace violence prevention plan (WVPP). The requirement stems from Senate Bill 553, which took effect July 1, 2024. Cal/OSHA has been actively enforcing the law during workplace safety inspections, making it important for employers to ensure their plans, training and record-keeping procedures are current.
The law requires covered employers to maintain a written WVPP that addresses how the company identifies, evaluates and responds to workplace violence hazards.
Training requirements
The law requires employers to provide effective training both upon hire and annually thereafter. Training materials must be easy for employees to understand and should address hazards specific to the workplace and employees’ job duties.
Required training topics include:
- The employer’s WVPP
- How employees can participate in the plan,
- Definitions and requirements under Labor Code Section 6401.9,
- How to report workplace violence incidents or threats,
- Protections against retaliation for reporting concerns,
- Job-specific workplace violence hazards and preventive measures,
- Emergency response procedures, and
- The purpose of the violent incident log and how employees can access related records.
Employers must also provide employees with an opportunity to ask questions and receive additional information during the training.
Record-keeping obligations
The law also includes extensive record-retention requirements.
Employers must maintain:
- Hazard identification and correction records for at least five years,
- Violent incident logs for at least five years,
- Incident investigation records for at least five years, and
- Training records for at least one year.
Breakdown of penalties
Serious violations: Fines can reach up to $25,000 per violation. This applies if an employer lacks the mandated WVPP or fails to properly train staff.
Willful or repeated violations: Fines scale up to a maximum of $158,727. This is triggered when an employer knowingly ignores the law or has a history of continuous non-compliance.
Failure to keep records: Improperly maintaining the required violent incident log or ignoring incident reporting procedures can also lead to significant civil citations.