Complete California Workplace Violence Prevention Answers
Last Updated: November 2025 | 20+ Questions Answered | Industry-Specific Guidance Included
SB 553 applies to virtually all California employers with at least one employee, regardless of industry or company size, with only four narrow exceptions: healthcare facilities covered by Section 3342, teleworkers at employee-chosen locations, law enforcement/corrections facilities, and workplaces with fewer than 10 employees not open to the public.
The law’s broad application means restaurants, offices, retail stores, hotels, manufacturing facilities, schools, non-profits, and government agencies must all comply unless specifically exempted.
Yes, SB 553 applies to all California employers regardless of size, including businesses with just one employee. There is no small business exemption based solely on employee count.
The only size-related exception is for workplaces with fewer than 10 employees that are not accessible to the public – meaning a small private office might qualify, but a small retail store would not.
Any employer with employees physically working in California must comply with SB 553 for those California-based employees, regardless of where the company is headquartered.
A New York company with a California office must have a compliant WVPP for the California location. Multi-state employers often need location-specific plans for their California operations.
Yes, non-profit organizations with California employees must comply with SB 553. Non-profit status does not provide an exemption from workplace safety requirements.
Churches, charities, foundations, and other 501(c)(3) organizations must develop WVPPs, conduct training, and maintain incident logs just like for-profit businesses.
Workplace violence under SB 553 includes any act or threat of violence occurring at a place of employment, including physical attacks, threats with or without weapons, verbal threats creating fear, intimidation, harassment, or any action causing psychological trauma or stress.
This broad definition covers everything from physical assaults to threatening emails, verbal aggression, stalking behaviors, and even implied threats through gestures or body language.
While SB 553 requirements can be incorporated into your IIPP, the WVPP must address all nine specific elements required by the law. Many employers maintain it as a comprehensive appendix or separate document for clarity.
If integrating, clearly label and organize the workplace violence prevention sections to ensure all SB 553 requirements are easily identifiable and accessible during inspections.
While a master WVPP template can cover multiple locations, each site must have location-specific hazard assessments, emergency procedures, facility layouts, and local emergency contacts within the plan.
A hotel chain, for example, needs customized sections for each property addressing unique risks like isolated parking structures, night audit procedures, or local crime patterns.
You still must comply fully with SB 553. The law focuses on prevention, not just response. Use Cal/OSHA resources, industry data, and workplace assessments to identify potential risks even without incident history.
Document your hazard assessment process showing you’ve evaluated potential risks, even if concluding they’re minimal. Maintain your incident log showing “no incidents” with regular review dates.
Cal/OSHA’s model plan provides a starting framework, but it must be customized with your specific workplace information, procedures, and hazards. Generic templates without customization will result in citations.
Inspectors immediately recognize unmodified templates. Add your specific locations, actual emergency numbers, real scenarios, and workplace-specific procedures to demonstrate compliance.
Emergency procedures must be specific enough for employees to follow during an actual incident, including step-by-step actions, specific evacuation routes, assembly points, communication protocols, and coordination with law enforcement.
Avoid vague statements like “evacuate if necessary.” Instead, specify: “If violence occurs in the lobby, front desk staff evacuate through the back office to the parking lot assembly point while calling 911.”
Yes, remote workers must receive training relevant to their work environment, including home office safety, virtual meeting security, client meeting protocols, and cyber-harassment prevention.
While exempt from some physical workplace requirements, remote workers still face potential violence risks during video calls, when meeting clients, or from cyber threats requiring modified training.
No, SB 553 training is mandatory. Employees cannot opt out. Continued refusal after documentation of the requirement may warrant disciplinary action according to your company policies.
Document all refusals and attempts to provide training. Explain the legal requirement and safety importance. Consider addressing underlying concerns that may be causing resistance.
Online training is acceptable ONLY if it includes real-time interaction with a knowledgeable person who can answer questions about your specific WVPP. Pure self-study or video-only training is non-compliant.
Acceptable online formats include live webinars with Q&A, hybrid programs with scheduled instructor check-ins, or online modules followed by live discussion sessions.
While there’s no mandated duration, effective training typically requires 60-90 minutes to adequately cover all eight required topics with meaningful interaction. Quality and comprehensiveness matter more than length.
Brief 15-minute sessions rarely provide sufficient depth for workplace-specific scenarios, interactive discussion, and Q&A required for compliance.
On-site contractors and vendors who work regularly at your facility should receive relevant safety information about your workplace violence prevention procedures, though full training may not be required.
At minimum, provide emergency procedures, reporting protocols, and relevant hazard information. Document what safety information was shared with contractor companies.
Training must be provided in a language understood by employees. If employees primarily speak Spanish, Mandarin, or other languages, training and materials must be available in those languages.
Using employee translators is risky and not recommended. Professional translation ensures accuracy and demonstrates good faith compliance efforts.
Any act or threat of workplace violence must be logged, including verbal threats, intimidating behavior, physical contact, property damage, or any action causing fear or stress, regardless of injury occurrence.
Even seemingly minor incidents like aggressive verbal confrontations, threatening gestures, or intimidating emails must be documented in your violent incident log.
Remove all personally identifying information such as names, addresses, employee ID numbers, or other details that could identify specific individuals involved in incidents.
Use generic descriptors like “Employee A” or “Customer” and focus on factual descriptions of events, not personal information about those involved.
You must still log the incident as required by law, but maintain confidentiality by removing identifying information. Explain the legal requirement and privacy protections to the reluctant employee.
Document the employee’s concerns while fulfilling your legal obligation. The log is about tracking patterns and hazards, not identifying individuals.
Yes, employees have the right to view and copy the log within 15 calendar days of request. Personal identifying information must be redacted to protect privacy.
Establish a clear procedure for handling log access requests, including who reviews requests, how privacy is protected, and documentation of access provided.
Yes, situations that could have resulted in violence but were prevented or avoided should be logged to identify patterns and improve prevention measures.
A customer reaching for a weapon but being stopped, or an employee intervention preventing an escalation, provides valuable data for improving your WVPP.
Cal/OSHA began enforcement on July 1, 2024, and inspections are ongoing. Inspections may be triggered by complaints, incidents, programmed inspections in high-risk industries, or follow-ups to previous citations.
Hotels and hospitality businesses are considered higher risk due to customer interaction, cash handling, and 24/7 operations, potentially increasing inspection likelihood.
Penalties range from $18,000 to $25,000 per violation. Multiple violations can result in accumulated fines. Willful or repeat violations can reach $162,851.
A single inspection finding missing training records, no WVPP, and absent incident logs could result in $75,000+ in penalties.
No, there are no extensions or grace periods. The July 1, 2024 deadline has passed. Employers not yet compliant should immediately implement requirements to minimize violation exposure.
If inspected while non-compliant, demonstrating active good faith efforts toward compliance may influence penalty amounts but won’t prevent citations.
Inspections can be triggered by employee complaints, workplace violence incidents requiring medical treatment, programmed inspections in targeted industries, referrals from other agencies, or follow-ups to previous citations.
Anonymous employee complaints are taken seriously and often fast-tracked. Maintaining good employee relations reduces complaint likelihood.
Abatement periods vary by violation type but typically range from immediate correction to 30 days. Serious violations often require immediate action. The citation will specify required correction timeframes.
You can request additional time through a Petition for Modification of Abatement (PMA) if you demonstrate good faith efforts and interim employee protections.
While SB 553 applies uniformly to all covered employers, hotels must address industry-specific risks in their WVPPs including guest interactions, isolated work areas, night shifts, cash handling, alcohol service, and coordination with any local panic button ordinances.
