California lawmakers were pushing an aggressive legislative proposal this year that would have required almost every employer in the state to comply with a workplace violence prevention standard developed with healthcare employers in mind. This was despite the fact that Cal/OSHA had been working on a standard that would apply to general industries. Thankfully for employers, SB 553 was amended late in the legislative session to essentially codify the proposal that Cal/OSHA had already been working on and remove some of the more controversial and burdensome requirements. As a result, many business groups dropped their opposition to the bill and Governor Newsom signed it on September 30, 2023. The new law will still impose significant obligations on almost all non-healthcare employers in the state by July 1, 2024.
The Employer Advisory Council of San Luis Obispo has invited two partners of Fisher Phillips, Nicole Kamm and Hannah Sweiss, to talk and present this very important senate bill.
The speakers will be talking about developing and implementing a Workplace Violence Prevention Plan. This plan will be a significant undertaking for employers since the standard requires comprehensive multi-prong procedures including for identifying and evaluating unsafe conditions in the workplace, and reporting, responding to, and investigating workplace violence incidents. Employers must also conduct interactive training for employees that covers their tailored WVP Plans and the workplace violence hazards specific to their employees’ jobs.
In this webinar, we will cover the elements that must be incorporated into the Plan document and implemented, including:
- An assessment of workplace violence risks upon developing the Plan
- Management communications with employees regarding workplace violence risks and how to respond to emergencies
- Post-incident response and investigation
- Steps to ensure employee compliance with the Plan
- Procedures for reviewing the effectiveness of the plan and making revisions
- Topics required for annual interactive training of employees on workplace violence prevention
- Practical tips for implementing the Plan to comply with the new law and best protect your employees
