Workplace Violence Prevention Plans Required
Starting on July 1, 2024, employers of all sizes must have a written workplace violence prevention plan, maintain a violent incident log, and provide workplace violence prevention training to employees. These requirements will apply to nearly all California employers and employees. Exceptions include healthcare employers covered by the state’s workplace violence prevention plan standard, remote employees working at a location not controlled by the employer, and worksites with fewer than 10 employees that are not open to the public.
Workplace Violence Prevention Plan
Employers must develop and maintain a written workplace violence prevention plan that all employees can access and that is tailored to address the hazards and corrective measures in each work area and operation. The plan must include mechanisms for involving employees, including in the implementation of the plan, identification and correction of hazards, ongoing improvement of the plan, reporting of incidents, and the design of training.
The plan can either be incorporated into the employer’s existing written injury and illness prevention program (as a stand-alone section) or maintained as its own document. Employers are required to review the plan regularly and conduct periodic inspections to identify workplace violence hazards.
Cal/OSHA has created a Model Written Workplace Violence Prevention Plan for General Industry (non-healthcare settings) for employers to use.
Violent Incident Log
Employers must keep a violent incident log with specific information about each workplace violence incident. The information in the log must come from employees who experienced the incident, witness statements, and investigational findings. Personal identifying information (such as names and addresses) that would allow someone to identify those involved in the incident should be excluded from the log. The log must be reviewed annually, when a violent incident occurs, and when a deficiency arises.
Training
Employers are required to provide employees with training on the workplace violence plan when it’s first established and annually thereafter. Additional training has to be provided when a new workplace violence hazard is identified or when changes are made to the plan, but this training can be limited to covering those specific topics. Any training materials the employer uses must be appropriate for the employees’ language, literacy, and educational level.
Contact a Resourcing Edge Loss Control Representative at REI.wc@onedigital.com to schedule a one-on-one meeting to discuss your individual program.
Healthcare Worker Minimum Wage – DELAYED FOR 2ND TIME
The new statewide minimum wages and salary threshold for healthcare workers, originally intended to take effect June 1, 2024, then pushed back to July 1, are once again delayed. The new effective date for the increases is not yet determined but is expected to be between October 15, 2024, and January 1, 2025.
Resourcing Edge will let you know when the effective date of the rates is announced.
