Many California employers devoted significant time and resources to complying with California’s workplace violence prevention law before it took effect on July 1, 2024, through SB 553. They drafted Workplace Violence Prevention Plans, trained employees, implemented reporting procedures, and created violent incident logs.

For many organizations, however, compliance effectively ended there.

That is understandable. Developing the initial program required a substantial investment of time and effort. But the law was never intended to be a one-time compliance exercise. A Workplace Violence Prevention Plan (WVPP) is designed to be a living document that evolves as workplaces, operations, and risks change. With Cal/OSHA expected to issue long-awaited workplace violence prevention regulations early this fall, employers should not wait for the regulations to begin evaluating their programs. Now is an ideal time to identify gaps, refresh training, and ensure that your plan reflects your current workplace before the next phase of compliance arrives.

Having a Plan is Only the Beginning

One of the biggest misconceptions is that SB 553 compliance begins and ends with having a written plan. In reality, the written plan is only one component of a much broader obligation.

If Cal/OSHA conducts an inspection following a complaint or workplace incident, the agency is unlikely to stop after reviewing the employer’s written plan. Investigators will want to know whether employees received the required training, whether workplace violence concerns were reported and investigated, whether identified hazards were corrected, and whether supervisors understand their responsibilities under the program. In other words, employers should expect Cal/OSHA to evaluate whether the plan is actually being implemented, not simply whether it exists.

Programs Naturally Drift Over Time

Nearly every workplace changes over the course of a year. Supervisors leave, new employees are hired, facilities are remodeled, job duties evolve, and business operations expand. As those changes occur, WVPPs often become outdated without anyone realizing it.
Common issues include stale training, out-of-date hazard assessments, overly complicated reporting procedures, and violent incident logs that no one has reviewed since the program was first implemented. None of these issues necessarily reflect a lack of commitment to workplace safety. More often, they simply demonstrate how quickly an organization’s day-to-day operations can outgrow its written procedures.

Take Another Look at Your Hazard Assessment

Perhaps the most valuable part of any WVPP is the hazard assessment. It is also one of the sections most likely to become outdated.
Employers periodically should consider whether anything has changed since they first completed the assessment. New locations, changes in staffing, increased interaction with the public, remote or hybrid work arrangements, new security concerns, or even a single workplace incident may justify revisiting the assessment. The goal is not simply to update paperwork but to ensure that the preventive measures still match the realities of the workplace.

Supervisors Make or Break the Program

Even the most carefully drafted WVPP cannot succeed if supervisors are uncertain about how to respond when concerns arise.
Supervisors are often the first to observe troubling behavior or receive reports from employees. They should understand how to recognize potential warning signs, document concerns appropriately, respond to employee reports, and involve Human Resources before a situation escalates. Regular refresher training can be just as important as the initial training employees received when the law first became effective.

Now is the Right Time for a Mid-Year Review

Many employers think about workplace violence prevention only when an inspection occurs or after a serious incident. By then, opportunities to strengthen the program may have already been missed.
This year’s review is particularly important because employers should soon receive additional guidance from Cal/OSHA. Although the anticipated regulations are expected to clarify and expand upon existing requirements, employers that regularly review and update their programs will be in a much better position to adapt than those whose plans have remained unchanged since they were first adopted.

The Bottom Line

California’s workplace violence prevention law was never intended to produce a binder that sits on a shelf. Employers that treat their program as an ongoing process—not a one-time compliance project—will be better prepared for the anticipated Cal/OSHA regulations, reduce legal risk, and create a safer workplace.
The most effective WVPPs are not simply well written—they are actively used, regularly updated, and consistently followed.