What is SB 553? Answers to Your California Compliance Questions

On July 1st, most employers in California will have to comply with the new Senate Bill 553. This law aims to protect employees and organizations by reducing incidents of workplace violence. Have questions about complying with this new legislation? Below, we answer the question “What is SB 553?” and more FAQs to help you prevent violence in your workplace while boosting compliance.

What is the California Bill SB 553?

Senate Bill (SB) 553, signed by California Governor Gavin Newsom on September 30, 2023, mandates that virtually all employers in California implement measures to address workplace violence. The legislation introduces Section 6401.9 to the Labor Code and becomes effective on July 1, 2024.

The law’s regulations include developing and implementing a workplace violence prevention plan. Additionally, employers subject to this mandate are also obligated to “record information in a violent incident log about every incident, post-incident, response, and workplace violation injury investigation.”

What is SB 553 California’s new workplace violence standards?

The new SB 553 “addresses workplace violence by requiring employers to implement basic protections to protect employees while at work.” These protections include eliminating retaliation, improving emergency response to violence, assessing workplace violence hazards, and responding to incidents more effectively. To achieve these, the law requires three main actions: creating a workplace violence prevention plan, implementing workplace violence training, and keeping a detailed violent incident log.

Is workplace violence training mandatory in California?

Yes, under SB 553, employers will be required to conduct annual workplace violence training for all employees. This training must include identifying workplace violence hazards, reporting incidents of workplace violence, and other details of your organization’s workplace violence prevention plan (which is also required by the law).

READ MORE: How to Prevent Workplace Violence with Incident Management Software

What information must be included in the violent incident log required by SB 553?

The log must include information including, but not limited to:

• The date, time, and location of the incident
• A detailed description of the incident
• A classification of who committed the violence
• A classification of the circumstances at the time of the indicent, including whether the employee was completing job duties
• A classification of the location of the violence incident
• The type of incident, including whether it involved physical, verbal, sexual, or animal attacks
• Consequences of the incident, such as medical treatment needed and whether the security or law enforcement was contacted
• Contact information for the individual completing the violent incident log

How can Case IQ help me comply with SB 553?

With  the ability to define required fields, streamline processes, and attach multiple files to one report, Case IQ can help you to ensure that your violent incident log is comprehensive and compliant. Case IQ automatically pulls data from your reporting mechanism into a new case file each time you receive a complaint, ensuring you document incidents thoroughly without manual data entry or risk of missing details.

Regardless of whether your workplace is subject to the new legislation, it’s prudent to have a defined process for how you will capture information for an incident log. This ensures complete documentation, increases compliance, and increases consistency to reduce the risk of fines and lawsuits.

Case IQ also offers a world-class intake system, powered by WhistleBlower Security, to help you address incidents of workplace violence efficiently. As soon as an employee reports an incident through the reporting mechanism, a new case file is created and assigned in the Case IQ platform, so you can take corrective measures and start your investigation ASAP.

To learn more about how Case IQ can automate your incident logging and other case management processes, click here.