Starting in July 2024, workplaces in California have to follow new rules from Cal/OSHA. Your Workplace Violence Prevention Plan must meet certain training requirements, so it’s important to prepare for these changes now. As a part of your training program, you can get employee feedback, explain important concepts, and discuss job-related hazards.
What Is the Workplace Violence Prevention Plan?
Signed into law by Governor Newson on September 30, 2023, the Workplace Violence Prevention Plan is designed to reduce incidences of workplace violence. Other than training employees on the plan, there are four key components. You must create a plan for your workplace, get feedback from your workers, keep a violent incident log, and maintain your records.
As an employer, your violence prevention plan and training may incorporate different things. For example, you may teach employees to leave together when they close after night, install lights in your parking lot, or create a response plan if an employee is involved in a domestic violence situation.
10 Steps for Training Your Workers on the Workplace Violence Prevention Plan
Once you have created a workplace violence prevention plan, you must train your workers on violence prevention. Because the law requires worker feedback and comments, you should include time for employees to speak up about their ideas. Additionally, the training must be documented so that you have proof of compliance if you happen to be audited in the future.
Managers may need extra training on how to receive or investigate reports. You might want to incorporate this special training into your standard leadership training program. Alternatively, you could have managers receive the employee training and then ask them to stay afterward for a few extra minutes of manager-focused training.
1. Choose Online Versus Virtual Training
First, you need to decide what type of workplace violence prevention training you want to provide. Currently, there is nothing in the law that says you have to perform the training session in person.
Because there is a feedback requirement, it’s probably better to do a live virtual session instead of an e-training. Then, you can get the worker’s acknowledgement that they finished training and request their feedback.
2. Maintain a Written Workplace Violence Prevention Plan
As a part of Cal/OSHA’s Workplace Violence Prevention Plan, you are expected to maintain a written plan. Legally, this plan must be accessible to employees at all times, so you must train employees on how to access it.
For example, you could laminate it and put it on a ring for factory workers. If some of your workers are remote, you could add a copy of the plan to your digital employee handbook.
3. Match the Training to Your Workers’ Language and Reading Comprehension
Next, the law explicitly requires you to create the training in a language and comprehension level that your employees can understand. If a large portion of your workforce speaks a different language, you should create training materials in that language.
4. Cover Labor Code Section 6401.9
This is another requirement specifically mentioned in Cal/OSHA’s guidance about training programs. Employers must discuss the definitions and requirements mentioned in Labor Code Section 6401.9. For instance, you should review the different types of violence and the law’s definition of violence.
5. Discuss Ways to Report Workplace Violence
During your training session, it’s important to discuss where employees should go to report workplace violence. Because some of these incidents may involve the employee’s immediate supervisor, you may want to also designate a safety manager or HR manager for receiving violence reports. You could also create a policy where workplace violence can be reported to any manager, so employees have an easier time coming forward.
Additionally, retaliatory actions are prohibited. You must make sure employees and managers know that employee retaliation is prohibited.
6. Teach Job-Specific Hazards
Each workplace is unique. The types of hazards that exist on a factory floor are different from the safety hazards that are present in an office. As a part of your workplace violence prevention plan, you should review previous incidents and brainstorm potential hazards.
7. Review Ways to Prevent Job-Specific Hazards
Other than understanding which hazards exist, you need to cover ways to prevent workplace hazards. For example, you may install a special alarm that alerts employees of a threat. You should also discuss recommended steps for dealing with problems that are specific to your workplace.
8. Talk About the Purpose of the Violence Prevention Log
The violence prevention log is where you write violent incidents, the classification of the person who carried out the violence, what happened, the date, and other criteria. During the training program, you’ll need to discuss the violence prevention log and where employees can access it. You should also cover where they can access related records as well.
These records must be available to anyone who requests them within 15 calendar days. To protect worker anonymity, it’s important to remove employee names from the report.
9. Ask for Feedback and Questions
There are five key components to this Cal/OSHA law, and employee feedback is one of them. Employers are expected to get worker feedback about their plan because employees have unique, on-the-ground perspectives.
Once you receive the comment or suggestion, you’re expected to research it. Then, you should determine if you should make any improvements and let the employee know what will be done about their feedback.
10. Repeat Employee Training Each Year
Unlike some of the record-keeping rules for the new law, you only have to keep a record of your training for one year. This is likely due to training being repeated on an annual basis. Even if they’ve already been trained on this topic before, all your employees must be trained in violence prevention every 12 months.
During the year, workers may provide you with additional feedback about the plan. Your workplace may also develop new ideas after a violent incident occurs. When this happens, you can update your training program.
Discover More Information on California’s HR Laws
Fortunately, you don’t have to invent your workplace violence prevention plan from scratch. Cal/OSHA has a model plan you can use to create your company’s plan. You can also use Cal/OSHA’s violence logs as well.
With a little work, you can make sure your workplace is in compliance with the new regulations from Cal/OSHA. To get support in developing a workplace violence prevention plan, connect with one our small business HR experts today.