top of page
Free Resources
Check back here for news and information on workplace violence and California SB 553. Submit an article for inclusion to info@wvpa.org.
Workplace Violence in the News
New CA Law Requires Workplace Violence Prevention Plans
A new law recently enacted in California requires employers to implement a workplace violence prevention plan and could prove influential if other states follow suit. On Sept. 30, Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 553 into law, requiring nearly all businesses to have their plans in place by July 1, 2024. Exempted from the law are employers already covered under the Workplace Violence Healthcare standard Cal/OSHA 3342, Department of Corrections and law enforcement agencies, and businesses with 10 or fewer employees who do not meet the public.
How to Safeguard Your Facilities Against Workplace Violence
Security professionals need to work with all building departments and occupants to keep their facilities safe from workplace violence, a growing problem in all types of facilities. On September 26, during Facilities Management Advisor’s FM Now: Emergency Preparedness online summit, guest speaker Hector Alvarez, president of Alvarez Associates, provided the opening keynote. The presentation, titled “Security Is a Constantly Evolving Responsibility,” centered on keeping workplace facilities safe.
SB 553 Workplace Violence Prevention: 12 Answers to Employers’ Frequently Asked Questions
Workplace safety and health hazards have traditionally been associated with unsafe work practices and hazardous conditions but violent acts committed in the workplace are a growing concern. On September 30, 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law Senate Bill (SB) No. 553, which requires virtually every California employer to implement a comprehensive workplace violence prevention plan with very specific requirements. We recently presented a webinar on the new law, reviewing SB 553 and its very specific requirements. In an effort to address many of the questions our webinar attendees asked and to share that information, we’ve developed this list of frequently asked questions (FAQs).
How to Prepare for California’s New Workplace Violence Prevention Law
On September 30, 2023, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB-553 into law. SB-553 is the nation’s first workplace violence prevention law. The law adds a new section 6401.9 to the California Labor Code, which will be implemented by Cal/OSHA. The new law requires that employers an effective plan aimed at preventing workplace violence in place by July 1, 2024. The plan may be incorporated into an existing Injury, Illness, and Prevention Plan and does not apply to workers teleworking form a location of the employee’s choice or employers already regulated by existing standards for the healthcare industry.
How to Prepare for California’s New Workplace Violence Prevention Law
On September 30, 2023, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB-553 into law. SB-553 is the nation’s first workplace violence prevention law. The law adds a new section 6401.9 to the California Labor Code, which will be implemented by Cal/OSHA. The new law requires that employers an effective plan aimed at preventing workplace violence in place by July 1, 2024. The plan may be incorporated into an existing Injury, Illness, and Prevention Plan and does not apply to workers teleworking form a location of the employee’s choice or employers already regulated by existing standards for the healthcare industry.
'It's such a broad brush': California's Workplace Violence Prevention Law
With SB-553 signed into law, nearly all California employers will be required to formulate Workplace Violence Prevention Plans, train employees on workplace violence and begin logging violent incidents in detail by July next year.
Governor Gavin Newsom signed the bill – SB 553 – on Sept. 30, superseding a similar standard the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) had been working on since 2017; now, Cal/OSHA’s Standards Board will be required to codify the SB 553 guidelines into its workplace violence standards and begin enforcing them by July 1, 2024.
CalChamber-Opposed Workplace Violence Bill Is Unworkable for Small Employers
A California Chamber of Commerce-opposed bill that increases business costs and establishes a one-size-fits-all workplace violence regulation on all California employers is scheduled to be heard in the Assembly Appropriations Committee today.
Are You Covered? California Employers Required to Adopt New Workplace Violence Prevention Plan
On September 30, 2023, California enacted Senate Bill No. 553 (“S.B. 553”), which requires covered California employers to adopt a comprehensive workplace violence prevention plan by July 1, 2024. These plans may be stand-alone documents or incorporated as new sections of the employer’s Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP).
External Resources
• Workplace Violence: A Universal Threat (https://www.nsc.org/getmedia/ab098602-3f95-4e7e-89d5-a31887ddff80/workplace-violence-fact-sheet.pdf)
• Violence and Harassment in the Workplace (https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/psychosocial/violence/violence_domestic.html)
• California Department of Human Resources: Workplace Violence (https://www.dgs.ca.gov/OHR/Resources/Page-Content/Office-of-Human-Resources-Resources-List-Folder/Personnel-Operations-Manual/Workplace-Violence)
• Guidelines for Security & Safety of Health Care and Community Service Workers(https://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/dosh_publications/hcworker.html)
• Model Written Workplace Violence Prevention Plan for General Industry (Non-Health Care Settings)(https://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/dosh_publications/Model-WPV-Plan-General-Industry.docx)
• Workplace Violence Prevention in Agricultural Operations for Employers Fact Sheet(https://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/dosh_publications/WPV-Agriculture-for-employers-fs.pdf)
• Workplace Violence Prevention in Agricultural Operations for Workers Fact Sheet(https://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/dosh_publications/WPV-Agricultural-for-workers.pdf)
• Workplace Violence Prevention for General Industry (Non-Health Care Settings) for Employers Fact Sheet(https://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/dosh_publications/WPV-General-Industry-for-employers-fs.pdf)
• Workplace Violence Prevention for General Industry (Non-Health Care Settings) for Workers Fact Sheet(https://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/dosh_publications/WPV-General-Industry-for-workers-fs.pdf)
• Safe at Work California: What is an IIPP? (https://www.safeatworkca.com/safety-articles/what-is-an-iipp/)
• Safe at Work California: State Fund's IIPP Builder (https://www.safeatworkca.com/iipp-builder/)
• Department of Labor Workplace Violence Program (https://www.dol.gov/agencies/oasam/centers-offices/human-resources-center/policies/workplace-violence-program)
• California Office of Human Resources (https://www.dgs.ca.gov/OHR/Resources/Page-Content/Office-of-Human-Resources-Resources-List-Folder/Personnel-Operations-Manual/Workplace-Violence)
• Cal/OSHA: Workplace Violence Prevention in Health Care (https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/9jzb4r7pb69v8wo0c6f9g/WVP-Health-Care-fs.pdf?rlkey=5a9wocfyw2it6eknhdz0nsvi4&dl=0)
• County of Los Angeles Public Health: Workplace Violence Prevention(http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/ovp/WorkplaceViolencePrevention.htm)
• Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence for Healthcare and Social Service Workers (https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/publications/osha3148.pdf)
• Preventing Workplace Violence: Security Awareness Considerations (https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/2023-11/Preventing%20Workplace%20Violence%20Security%20Awareness%20Considerations%20Infographic_508.pdf)
• Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education: Identifying and Responding to Behavioral Concerns()
• What is a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP)? (https://www.indeed.com/hire/c/info/pip-meaning?co=US)
• How to Create a Performance Improvement Plan (https://www.indeed.com/hire/c/info/performance-improvement-plan?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI36X059vdgwMVgWBHAR1oPQq4EAAYAiAAEgJk-fD_BwE&aceid=&gclsrc=aw.ds)
• National Sexual Violence Resource Center: Sexual Violence & the Workplace (https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/efxmsw0c9mrwbg89helax/publications_nsvrc_overview_sexual-violence-workplace.pdf?rlkey=3huzhdxfx2jj8v2f9dizpiz56&dl=0)
• Model Workplace Policy on Domestic Violence, Sexual Violence, and Stalking (https://www.workplacesrespond.org/resource-library/model-guidelines/)
• CDC Intimate Partner Violence Prevention (https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/intimatepartnerviolence/index.html)
• California Workplace Protections (https://www.womenslaw.org/laws/ca/workplace-protections/all)
• California Women's Law Center (https://www.cwlc.org/learn/violence-against-women/)
• Workplace Homicides Among US Women: The Role of Intimate Partner Violence (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4687019/)
• How to Improve Your Situational Awareness(https://www.asisonline.org/security-management-magazine/articles/2022/09/how-to-improve-your-situational-awareness/)
• Crime Prevention through Environmental Design Guidebook(https://rems.ed.gov/docs/mobile_docs/cpted-guidebook.pdf)
• Risk is Dynamic, So Physical Risk Assessment Should Be Continuous (https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/oao7akty9bwibmn8qe9op/Risk-is-Dynamic-So-Physical-Risk-Assessment-Should-Be-Continuous.pdf?rlkey=tuz1p5mypbxkgvv9obd3q73zv&dl=0)
• Getting to Know the Power of the Threat, Vulnerability, and Risk Assessment (TVRA)(https://www.asisonline.org/publications--resources/news/blog/2023/the-power-of-tvra-kevin-sun-cpp/)
• National Incident Management System Integration Center()
• NIMS Implementation Activities for Hospitals and Healthcare Systems (https://www.fema.gov/pdf/emergency/nims/imp_hos.pdf)
• What is Unified Command?()
• Psychological Resiliency Resources and Training for Disaster Responders()
• The National Response Team: Guidance for Managing Worker Fatigue During Disaster Operations()
• The National Response Team: U(https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/3wqp05t81z0hmdi5o84bi/Unified-Command.pdf?rlkey=mjk9dx4wlzq8bj6kzmnod4235&dl=0)nified Command Technical Assistance Document(https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/3wqp05t81z0hmdi5o84bi/Unified-Command.pdf?rlkey=mjk9dx4wlzq8bj6kzmnod4235&dl=0)
• The National Response Team: Guidance, Technical Assistance & Planning (https://www.nrt.org/main/Resources.aspx?ResourceType=Health%20and%20Safety&ResourceSection=2)
• University of Houston AAR Template()
• U.S. Department of Education: Lessons Learned()
• From School Crises and Emergencies()
• After-Action Reports: Capturing Lessons Learned and Identifying Areas of Improvement()
• Violence Prevention in Health Care (CA § 3342)()
bottom of page