California Senate Bill 553
A BRIEF OVERVIEW
On September 30, 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 553 (SB 553) mandating that companies (with more than 10 onsite employees) in California develop Workplace Violence Prevention Plans. Companies must be compliant by July 1, 2024. The California Occupational Health and Safety Administration (Cal/OSHA) will enforce compliance by assessing considerable fines on violators.
The Ackerman Group (AG), with over 46 years of experience assisting corporations in mitigating risks from kidnapping, extortion and workplace violence, is prepared to help your company design and implement a Workplace Violence Prevention Plan that will make your employees safer and comply with the requirements of this new legislation.
We begin from the premise that workplace violence prevention is not and cannot be a passive process. It requires both a plainly communicated commitment by company leaders to prioritize employee safety and arrangements in furtherance of this objective.
Training, monitoring, and follow-up on potential threats are the keys to a successful program. All employees need to be actively involved in the process and should participate in identifying vulnerabilities and hazards in the workplace. Each employee needs to be trained in how to report a potential or actual workplace violence incident without fear of retaliation and should know what to expect from their employer as a follow-up.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Begin to develop your Workplace Violence Prevention Plan early. The plan requires employee participation and must be memorialized in writing. Additionally, it will be necessary to conduct a thorough site review, to train all employees and to establish a system of recordkeeping of workplace violence threats, monitoring and annual certification.
Companies with multiple worksites require multiple plans. Each Workplace Violence Prevention Plan developed must be unique to the employees and the site at which they work.
You will need to dedicate time and resources to this effort. You will need to select a Workplace Violence Prevention Team (WPVPT) from among your employees to drive this effort.
And we believe it wise to enlist the assistance of security professionals to design and implement your plan.
SERVICES OFFERED
The Ackerman Group’s services address each aspect of the SB 553 compliance and can be customized to your organization. The Ackerman Group can provide training to all employee groups, from C-Suite members to an all-hands audience, and we can train in English and Spanish.
The following suggested options provide the information and guidance needed to meet the compliance requirements of SB 553 for an individual worksite and employees.
This option is a series of five scheduled virtual meetings. An AG specialist will meet with the WPVPT and facilitate the assignment and completion of tasks in a timely manner. In order to maximize engagement of the participants and build on the momentum that will be created in the project, the meetings will be scheduled over five sequential days. Depending on the composition of the Prevention Team, not all members will need to participate every day. Each meeting will last one hour, and the AG specialist will be available for consultation for an additional hour per day to discuss any issues that are raised. AG will provide all of the necessary documents and guidance, including a site assessment checklist, to enable the WPVPT to achieve compliance by the end of the sessions. AG will be available virtually to meet with the team and conduct the one-year compliance certification.
Option 2 (US$7,750):
An AG specialist will virtually provide WPV Prevention Training for the WPVPT. This will be followed by a series of five scheduled virtual meetings in which the AG specialist will facilitate the assignment and completion of tasks in a timely manner. In order to maximize engagement of the participants and build on the momentum that will be created in the project, the meetings will be scheduled over five sequential days. Depending on the composition of the Prevention Team, not all members will need to participate every day. Each meeting will last one hour, and the AG specialist will be available for consultation for an additional hour per day to discuss any issues that are raised. AG will provide all of the necessary documents and guidance, including a site assessment checklist, to enable the WPVPT to achieve compliance by the end of the sessions. AG will be available virtually to meet with the team and conduct the one-year compliance certification.
Option 3 (US$13,750 plus travel expenses of the attendee):
An AG specialist will conduct a three-day site visit (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) to meet the WPVPT and conduct a site assessment. During the first day of the visit, the AG specialist will provide WPV Prevention Training for the team. Subsequently, working with the WPVPT the AG specialist will facilitate the drafting of the WPV Prevention Plan, provide at least one iteration of an All-Hands WPV Prevention training based on the curriculum designed by the WPVPT, design a WPV incident log, and implement appropriate record keeping protocols. After the visit is concluded the client will be eligible for five hours of telephonic consultation for 90 days. AG will be available virtually to meet with the team and conduct the one-year compliance certification.