On September 30, 2023, California Governor Newsom signed SB 553 – a sweeping new law addressing Workplace Violence Prevention in virtually all California workplaces. California employers (unless they fall under one of the limited exemptions) will be required by July 1, 2024, to:
- Establish, implement, and maintain an effective workplace violence prevention plan
- Perform a workplace violence-specific hazard assessment of your workplace and operations
- Conduct an investigation of every incident of workplace violence (broadly defined)
- Generate investigation reports of every incident of workplace violence
- Create and maintain Violent Incident Logs
- Provide annual interactive employee and supervisor training
- Maintain (and produce upon request) program-related records for various periods
These requirements may seem straightforward; however, compliance pitfalls await employers who fail to delve into them deeply, and responses to workplace violence incidents may expose employers to legal claims in other areas of the law. To that end, Conn Maciel Carey's California Practice has created several options to assist employers with compliance.
A Full Turnkey Workplace Violence Prevention Program Solution
We are pleased to offer a flat fee turnkey Workplace Violence Prevention Program which will include the following materials and services:
1. Customized Written Workplace Violence Prevention Plan
We will help your organization develop a customized, compliant written Workplace Violence Prevention Plan along with all the ancillary documents and sub-policies, including:
- An Inspection Checklist Specific to Workplace Violence (as part of an initial hazard assessment and as an ongoing tool in the program)
- A Corrective Action Log
- A Workplace Violence Investigation Report Template
- A Violent Incident Log
- Employee and Supervisory Workplace Violence Training Sign-in Sheets
- A Workplace Violence Prevention Compliance Manual
2. Workplace Violence Prevention Training Materials and Live Training
- We will develop customized training materials based on your new written workplace violence prevention plan.
- We will conduct initial interactive training programs for supervisors and non supervisors.
- We will "train the trainer" so your organization can provide the required annual refresher training.
3. Gap Assessments of Related Policies
To ensure alignment, we will perform Gap Assessments of existing, related policies and programs that intersect with your new workplace violence prevention plan, such as:
- Injury and Illness Prevention Plan
- Emergency Action Plan
- Employee Handbook
- Security Protocols
4. Attorney Consultation Hours
A block of 12 Attorney Consultation Hours to be used within one year as your organization rolls out its new program. The hours can be used for any purpose related to the Workplace Violence Prevention Program or the new California law, such as:
- Participating in the initial workplace violence inspection/hazard assessment
- Joining the first couple of incident investigations
- Talking through entries on the Violent Incident Log
- Assisting with threat assessments
- Addressing questions about the implementation of the program or understanding the law
If you are interested in this option, we can provide you with a questionnaire that will help us start the process of customizing your plan.
Ad Hoc Services
If you would like to work off your own draft policy, we are also well-positioned to perform a gap assessment of that (and the related policies). Of course, we are also ready and available to provide other ad hoc services related to workplace violence prevention; e.g., any of the individual components of the turnkey program described above at our usual hourly rates.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.