New California Labor Code section 6401.9 requires virtually all California employers to draft and implement a comprehensive Workplace Violence Prevention Plan (“WVPP”) on or before July 1, 2025. This month, the California Department of Industrial Relations Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) published a model workplace violence prevention plan that can serve as a good template for non-healthcare employers to use to draft their workplace violence prevention plans. To comply, each covered California employer must customize their WVPP to fit their workplace and work locations.
Cal/OSHA has also published its Workplace Violence Prevention in Non-Health Care Settings – Information for Employers Fact Sheet. The Fact Sheet provides additional guidelines and explanations for California employers. It explains some of the important statutory requirements and includes, among other things:
- An outline of what must be contained within a compliant WVPP;
- Information on what is required when logging workplace violence incidents:
- An explanation of the new workplace violence training requirements; and
- Other details about the WVPP and preventing workplace violence in the workplace.
Cal/OSHA has also published Guidelines for Security and Safety of Health Care Workers, Workplace Violence Prevention Fact Sheets for Agricultural Employers and Employees, and a Workplace Violence Prevention Fact Sheet for Workers/Employees in Non-Health Care Work Settings. These publications are all available on the Cal/OSHA website under the Workplace Violence Prevention Tab.
WVPPs are not simple, short documents. To fulfill the requirements of the statute, they must be comprehensive. A WVPP is not something that an employer can wait until the last minute and put together with little time and effort. California employers should begin this preparation process now if they have not already done so. If you are a covered California employer who needs assistance with their WVPP, please contact your business or employment attorney.
The information presented is not intended to be, and does not constitute, “legal advice.” Because each situation varies, and only brief summary information is provided here, you should not use this information as a basis for action unless you have independently verified with your own counsel that it applies to your particular situation.
Leave a Reply