By Celesti Ripley, SPHR, PHRca
California’s general industry workplace violence prevention rules, under SB 553, took effect last year on July 1, 2024. These rules require most employers to establish a written Workplace Violence Prevention Plan (WVPP), provide employee training, and maintain incident logs and other related records.
The WVPP was designed to inform all employees about workplace safety and cultivate a safe and secure working environment. This Plan mandates all employees follow established workplace practices to minimize risks and enhance workplace safety. Additionally, under the Plan employees are prohibited from engaging in verbal threats, physical actions, or other behaviors that could create a security hazard or jeopardize the safety for others in the workplace. As July 1, 2025, nears, employers are reminded to complete their first annual review of their WVPP. This review should include updates based on the plan’s effectiveness over the past year and re-training employees for 2025.
It is imperative to take the necessary steps to comply, as the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) actively enforces this law through regular inspections and has the authority to issue citations for noncompliance. Employers can face penalties of $16,285 for general violations, $25,000 for serious violations, and up to $162,851 for willful and repeat violations.
More information can be found here: https://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/dosh_publications/WPV-General-Industry-for-employers-fs.pdf
If you have any questions about updating your WVPP, please contact your Silvers HR Consultant.