Common FAQs About California’s Workplace Violence Prevention Requirements

Quick Refresher: What’s Required

On July 1, 2024, California’s workplace violence prevention requirements went into effect. “Workplace violence” is defined broadly to mean any act of violence or “threat of violence” that occurs in a place of employment and includes four separate categories of workplace violence. Covered California employers must:

• Establish, implement and maintain a Workplace Violence Prevention Plan (WVPP) that covers 13 distinct topics;
• Train their workforce on this plan and related procedures;
• Identify and mitigate/correct workplace hazards and risks; and
• Appropriately respond to instances of workplace violence, including investigating, documenting and recordkeeping, among other things.

Additionally, every year, employers must review their workplace violence prevention plan’s effectiveness and provide training on the law’s requirements and their plan.

What If I Have Multiple Worksite Locations?

Employers with multiple worksite locations often ask whether they can create a universal plan that covers all their worksites. Unfortunately, a universal — or “one-size-fits-all” — plan will not satisfy the law’s requirements.

The employer’s WVPP must be tailored to address the specific hazards and corrective measures associated with each individual work area and operation. Employers are expected to evaluate each worksite and develop a plan that reflects the actual conditions and risks present at that location, taking into account the nature of the business or operation conducted there.

Therefore, employers with multiple facilities, locations or types of worksites must ensure that their plan addresses the distinct characteristics of each setting. For example, an employer with a public-facing retail store at one location, a warehouse or distribution center at another, and a corporate office at a third must assess and document the unique workplace violence hazards and corresponding procedures for each worksite. Compliance requires a thoughtful, worksite-specific approach that considers the operational differences and associated risks across the organization.

How Much Employee Involvement is Required?

The workplace violence prevention law requires meaningful employee involvement in both the WVPP’s development and implementation. Specifically, employers must establish procedures for obtaining employee input on:

• Identifying, evaluating and correcting workplace violence hazards;
• Designing and implementing training; and
• Reporting and investigating incidents of workplace violence.

Employee participation may take various forms, such as safety committee meetings, anonymous surveys, tailgate discussions (short, informal safety meetings held at a job site, often before work begins) or written feedback mechanisms. Regardless of the format, the process must be clearly documented in the WVPP.

The WVPP should describe how employees were engaged and how their feedback informed the plan’s content and structure. This is not only a legal requirement — it’s also a practical measure. Employees are often best positioned to identify hazards and provide insight into workplace risks, making their involvement essential to an effective and compliant plan.

Can I Use an “Off-the-Shelf” Training Solution for Workplace Violence Prevention?

Not if you want to stay compliant. One of the most common mistakes employers make is relying on generic or pre-recorded training programs that are not customized to their own operations.

California law requires that workplace violence prevention training be specific to the:

• Employer’s written WVPP;
• Particular hazards present at each worksite; and
• Job duties of employees.

In other words, the training must align with the real-world risks your employees may encounter and must include the reporting procedures, hazard controls and response protocols outlined in your plan.

If your WVPP has not yet been developed, you are not ready to conduct training. The plan provides the foundation upon which legally compliant and operationally effective training must be built.

Does California’s Required Harassment Prevention Training Satisfy the Workplace Violence Prevention Training Requirement?

No. Harassment prevention and workplace violence prevention are two separate legal requirements with different purposes and content requirements.

Harassment prevention training is required under California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and is designed to address discrimination, harassment and retaliation in the workplace. It includes specific requirements related to duration, delivery method and trainer qualifications.

By contrast, workplace violence prevention training focuses on:

• Recognizing and responding to acts or threats of violence;
• How to report concerns; and
• How to follow the procedures outlined in your organization’s WVPP.

Your training must be tailored to your specific worksite(s) and job roles and then updated when your plan is revised.

Both training requirements are mandatory; however, completing harassment prevention training does not satisfy your obligations under the workplace violence prevention law.

Does My Business Qualify for an Exemption?

The general workplace violence prevention requirements only have a few limited exemptions.

The following employers are exempt from the law’s requirements:

• Health care facilities covered by the Division of Occupational Safety and Health's (Cal/OSHA’s) Workplace Violence Prevention in Health Care standard;
• The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation;
• Law enforcement agencies;
• Employees working remotely from a location not under the employer’s control; and
• Workplaces with fewer than 10 employees present at a given time that are not accessible to the public.

Those final two exemptions frequently lead to confusion. The remote work exemption applies only to employees who work exclusively from a location of their choosing — outside the employer’s control. The exemption does not apply to hybrid workers, those occasionally reporting to an employer-controlled worksite or those assigned to a client’s workplace.

Similarly, the small, non-public worksite exemption is interpreted narrowly. It applies only where fewer than 10 employees are present at any one time, and the worksite is not accessible to the public. “Not accessible to the public” remains undefined, but if your worksite hosts occasional visitors, customers or shares space with other businesses, you may not qualify.

Importantly, the burden is on the employer to demonstrate that an exemption applies. In cases of uncertainty, you should consult with legal counsel.

What Steps Should We Take in Response to an Incident?

Even with a well-developed workplace violence prevention plan and training program, employers may find themselves unprepared when an actual incident occurs. This is a critical area of compliance that requires advance planning and clear procedures.

A proper response should include the following:

1. Ensure Immediate Safety. Prioritize the safety of all employees, customers and others at the worksite. Contact emergency services, if necessary, and take any immediate steps to secure the workplace. Depending on the situation, this may include evacuation, lockdown procedures, or contacting security personnel or the police.
2. Report and Record the Incident. Follow the reporting procedures outlined in your WVPP. Document all relevant details, including the date, time, location, individuals involved, nature of the incident and actions taken. Reporting should be encouraged without fear of retaliation and may include anonymous options. Employers must maintain a workplace violence incident log and preserve records for at least five years.
3. Conduct a Thorough Investigation. Promptly investigate the incident to determine what occurred, assess the level of risk and evaluate the adequacy of existing safeguards. This includes interviewing the reporting party, the alleged perpetrator (if applicable) and any witnesses. Investigative findings should be documented and retained confidentially.
4. Implement Corrective Measures. Based on the findings, take appropriate corrective actions to prevent recurrence. This may include revising the WVPP, retraining staff, modifying worksite conditions or implementing additional safety protocols. Any changes should be reflected in the plan and communicated through updated training.
5. Provide Support to Affected Employees. Depending on the severity of the incident, employees may require accommodations or support services. This can include time off or referrals to an employee assistance program (EAP). Employers should also consider whether employees are entitled to any protected leave as a result of the incident. For example, employees injured due to workplace violence may qualify for job-protected family and medical leave. Victims of certain qualifying acts of violence may also be entitled to time off for medical care, legal support or court proceedings under California’s crime victims’ leave laws.

Employers should treat every report or incident of workplace violence seriously. A timely and thorough response helps protect employee well-being, foster a culture of safety and mitigate legal risk.

Employer Resources

For more information on California’s workplace violence prevention requirements and best practices, check out CalChamber’s Workplace Violence Prevention Standards in the HR Library. Additionally, Cal/OSHA maintains a workplace violence prevention resources page with frequently asked questions about the law, fact sheets and other educational materials.

Lastly, to help employers with these requirements, CalChamber offers a variety of resources such as plan development support, computer-based training and more. Check out Workplace Violence Plan Solutions for more information.