Get in Compliance with the Workplace Violence Prevention Requirements

Get in Compliance with the Workplace Violence Prevention Requirements

As a reminder, July 1, 2024 was the deadline for virtually all California employers to have a written Workplace Violence Prevention Plan (WVPP)and provide initial training to employees on the employer's plan. If you missed the deadline, does that mean you should throw your hands up in the air and give up? Of course not! However, we recommend that you begin working to get in compliance as soon as possible. Below are some important reminders regarding the employee training requirements. Get some time scheduled on your calendar now!

Required WVPP Employee Training:

General Requirements

• Your trainer must be knowledgeable about the employer's specific WVPP,
• the training must be customized to your workplace, specifically any hazards and threats,
• and it must be interactive and allow for employee questions and answers by someone knowledgeable in the employer's plan.

Employers must use training material appropriate in content and vocabulary to the educational level, literacy, and language of employees and must retain training records for one year, see Labor Code section 6401.9.

Employee training must not only be provided when the WVPP is first established (i.e., initially by July 1, 2024), upon identification of new hazards or plan changes, and then annually thereafter.

Covered Topics

The training must cover the definitions stated in Senate Bill 553, as well as:

• How to obtain a copy of the employer's WVPP at no cost, and how to participate in development and implementation of the employer's plan.
• How to report workplace violence incidents or concerns to the employer or law enforcement without fear of reprisal.
• Workplace violence hazards specific to the employees' jobs, the corrective measures the employer has implemented, how to seek assistance to prevent or respond to violence, and strategies to avoid physical harm.
• The violent incident log and how to obtain copies of records pertaining to hazard identification, evaluation and correction, training records, and violent incident logs.

The training may also, but is not required to cover, the following: strategies to avoid/reduce workplace violence, including risk factors and defusing hostile situations, recognizing alerts, alarms and other warnings, escape routes, emergency medical care, and post-event trauma counseling available to employees. To supplement your training, CEA members may access free courses on many of these topics in CEA University.

Need Assistance Creating the Employee Training?

If you need assistance with creating your employee training, we have a training template available which incorporates the requirements and key definitions so you can easily present the materials to your staff. Remember, the training must be customized to your specific plan, and the trainer must be someone knowledgeable in your plan. The WVPP employee training template will have areas for you to easily customize your plan. It is available for purchase on our store here. CEA members receive a discounted rate!

Need Assistance with All Plan Requirements?

If you are just starting or in the middle of your WVPP, CEA also has a comprehensive Do-It-Yourself Package available for administrators/employers, with a 90-minute training recording and tool kit to guide you through the process. It is available on our store here. Remember, all CEA members already have access to our free WVPP Tool Kit!