State of California Senate Bill 553: Workplace Violence Prevention Plan

By CPI
January 8, 2025
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California Senate Bill 553 (SB 553) was signed into law on September 30, 2023. It is focused on improving workplace safety and requires that any business with more than 10 California employees must establish, implement, and maintain an effective workplace violence prevention plan (WVPP) to prevent and respond to workplace violence.  

The deadline for employers to have a written WVPP was July 1, 2024. The new law also requires ongoing training as part of an employer’s WVPP. 

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Three Easy Steps to Bring CPI Training to Your Store

Step 1: Schedule a 15-minute call with CPI. We will guide you through the steps to create an effective workplace violence prevention policy and bring de-escalation training to your store.

Step 2: Obtain a complimentary training program recommendation. We will recommend a training program that will help you to utilize California Senate Bill 553 to protect your team from the increasing threats of workplace violence.   

Step 3: Train your staff. With our online and virtual de-escalation training, we will make it easy for you to ensure worker safety, improve employee satisfaction and retention, and establish a superior customer experience. 

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CPI training programs make it easy for all retail staff to gain foundational de-escalation skills, regardless of role or risk level.

De-escalation and Violence Prevention Training for Retail

Starting with this 30-minute online training, retail workers will gain the fundamental skills to feel confident and safe when engaging with difficult customers. Ongoing micro-learnings reinforce concepts. Recommended for all staff.

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Verbal Intervention™ Training

Provide your staff with in-depth skills to identify, respond to, and prevent or mitigate challenging customer behavior with verbal intervention techniques. Recommended for managers.

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Compliance and Penalties  

Failure to comply with SB 553 can result in significant penalties, including fines up to $25,000 for serious violations and up to $158,727 for willful violations.  

WVPP Requirements Overview

California employers must create a WVPP that includes:  

1. Identification of Responsible Persons: Clearly identify who is responsible for implementing the plan.  

2. Employee Involvement: Procedures for involving employees in developing and implementing the plan.  

3. Coordination with Other Employers: Methods to coordinate the plan with other employers, if applicable.  

4. Reporting and Responding to Incidents: Procedures for employees to report workplace violence and for employers to respond to these reports without retaliation.  

5. Compliance Procedures: Ensure compliance from all employees, including supervisors.  

6. Communication: Procedures to communicate with employees about workplace violence matters.  

7. Emergency Response: Protocols for responding to emergencies involving workplace violence.  

8. Hazard Assessments: Regular inspections to identify and evaluate workplace violence hazards, including:  

  • Initial setting up of the plan  
  • Periodic scheduled inspections  
  • Inspections after violent incidents  
  • Inspections when new hazards are identified  

9. Corrective Measures: Procedures to correct identified hazards promptly.  

10. Post-Incident Response: Procedures for responding to and investigating incidents of workplace violence.  

11. Plan Review: Annual review of the plan, or after an incident or when deficiencies are observed. 

Training Requirements How CPI Can Help

Employers must provide employees with effective training, which includes: 

1. Initial and Annual Training: Training when the plan is first established and annually thereafter. 

2. New Employees and Job Assignments: Training for new employees and those given new job assignments that may introduce new hazards. 

3. Content of Training:  

  • Familiarization with the WVPP and how to obtain a copy. 
  • Definitions and requirements of workplace violence under Labor Code Section 6401.9. 
  • Reporting procedures for workplace violence incidents. 
  • Job-specific violence hazards and preventive measures. 
  • Purpose and use of the violent incident log. 
  • Interactive discussions with knowledgeable personnel. 

CPI’s train-the-trainer model makes it easy to schedule training for new employees and conduct annual trainings. 

Our content can easily be applied and adapted to job specific scenarios and incidents based on organization policies and procedures. 

CPI is the leader in workplace violence prevention. We train your select staff to become Certified Instructors, who then bring expertise back to your organization after they become CPI certified.
Recordkeeping Requirements How CPI Can Help

Employers must maintain records related to the WVPP, including: 

1. Training Records: Maintain records of all training sessions for at least one year. 

2. Violent Incident Logs: Keep a log of all workplace violence incidents for at least five years, including:  

  • Date, time, and location of the incident
  • Type of violence (e.g., physical attack, threats) 
  • Description of the incident 
  • Consequences and steps taken to protect employees  

3. Hazard Identification and Correction Records: Maintain these records for at least five years. 

4. Incident Investigation Records: Keep records of investigations into workplace violence incidents for at least five years. 

CPI has an online documentation system that allows you to create, store, and maintain training records.