While 2024 has already ushered in several mandated changes to employer practices and policies in California, the state’s new law requiring a workplace violence prevention plan and related training is in effect now, with a compliance deadline of July 1, 2024. Nearly all California employers are required to develop and implement a workplace violence prevention plan containing specified information, as well as an incident log (with no personally identifiable information), as part of their Cal/OSHA Injury and Illness Prevention Plan (IIPP). Employers also must provide training to workers on an ongoing basis. Employers are required to maintain specified records as detailed in the law and must provide employees with copies of records within 15 days of requesting them. There are some limited exceptions, including, for instance, employers covered by existing workplace violence prevention standards for the health care industry, as well as places of employment where there are fewer than 10 employees present at any given time and which are not accessible to the public. In addition, employees telecommuting from a location of their own choosing (such as their home) that is not under the employer’s control are exempt.
 
The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) has just released a template workplace violence prevention plan, which can be found here (under “Latest Updates and Added Publications”), along with additional pertinent information.  The template is designed to assist employers in crafting their own tailored plans by providing examples and fill-in-the-blank sections for worksite-specific information, walking employers through the plan creation and subsequent training. A copy of the template is linked here for your convenience.