As California approaches the one-year mark of its workplace violence prevention legislation, employers are taking stock.
Senate Bill (SB) 553 changed California law effective July 1, 2024, in response to increases in workplace violence incidents and the effects on employee safety and well-being. The law amended Civil Code 527.8 and Labor Code sections 6401.7 and 6401.9, mandating that all general industry employers implement comprehensive violence prevention plans, maintain incident logs, and conduct employee training.
With the first anniversary approaching (July 1, 2025), organizations across the state are evaluating compliance with the Labor Code and the effectiveness of programs and training in creating safer work environments. Employers are facing several actions to meet new deadlines:
- Review all reported workplace violence incidents in 2024.
- Update workplace violence prevention plans to address any deficiencies or incidents.
- Conduct annual refresher training on prevention strategies.
- Train employees on job-specific hazards and newly implemented corrective measures
Review incident data
Examine each reported workplace violence incident that occurred during the year to verify the proper investigation and implementation of corrective actions. This data will reveal which plan elements need updating and which hazards require additional training focus.
To comply, data should be collected and provided on:
- The total number of incidents.
- Incident types (1 – strangers, 2 – clients, 3 – coworkers, 4 – personal relationship).
- Characteristics (physical force, use of weapon/object, threat, verbal abuse).
- Types of weapons or objects threatened or used.
- Types of physical attacks if applicable (biting, choking, grabbing, hair pulling, kicking, punching, slapping, pushing, pulling, scratching, or spitting).
- Locations and operations where the incidents occurred.
These details can reassure employees and eliminate misconceptions. For instance, staff might fear client gun threats when the actual data reveals more incidents involving coworkers or family members, with everyday objects like walkers or canes being used more frequently than knives. This evidence-based approach enhances awareness, informs necessary corrective actions, and guides updates to work procedures, prevention plans, and training programs.
No incidents? Congratulations! Due diligence still applies
If your organization did not have any incidents, that’s an amazing statistic to share with employees in training and communications. It’s also a chance to examine your culture and reporting processes. Is reporting an incident easy? Are there any barriers to reporting such as access to reporting forms or technology? Does the company culture support reporting incidents, or are employees afraid of retaliation (unlawful) or discouraged because they perceive that no one follows up on incidents when reported?
No incident data to analyze? Look at workplace violence statistics and incidents that happen in similar industries to gain insight into similar risks. For reference, The Bureau of Labor Statistics maintains data on workplace violence injuries and fatalities, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation issues an annual active shooter incident studies reference.
Implementing corrective actions
Incorporate incident-specific corrective actions into the workplace violence prevention plan if safe work practices or other policies are changed. If corrective actions were identified in one work location, they should be evaluated against risk and operational similarity to see whether they should be implemented in other work areas.
For example, if multiple behavioral issues were identified, do new communication, escalation, and even denial of services policies need to be enacted? If staff continued to engage with customers while they escalated behaviors, do they need more support in de-escalation techniques and safe ways that they can disengage with the person and the behavior?
Communicate any corrective actions to employees through training to ensure that they understand job-specific risks and controls.
Training
If your initial workplace violence prevention training covered general resources, plan access, reporting procedures, and basic workplace violence concepts, this material can serve as an annual refresher when paired with job-specific training. This two-tiered approach allows an overall curriculum that stays current and reusable for many years with a more targeted training that can be updated annually (or more often if incidents and conditions warrant).
Job-specific training meets the requirements of the labor code and provides employees with the most specific and up-to-date incident and response information that will prepare them for the types of incidents they may encounter so they have a safe and seamless response.
By continuously evaluating data, refining procedures, and providing targeted training, you create not only a legally compliant workplace but one where employees feel genuinely protected and valued.
For information on how to create customized training for your workplace violence prevention program, visit our training page.
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