CEP Magazine ─ In a new bylined article, Elissa Rossi, Vice President of Compliance Services at Traliant, addresses California’s new workplace violence prevention law and employers’ responsibility to protect their employees by providing a safe work environment.    

“While California’s workplace violence prevention law is a proactive strategy to enhance safety, it also creates a sense of urgency for employers in other states to develop similar plans.”   — Elissa Rossi, Vice President of Compliance Services at Traliant  

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) estimates that 2 million U.S. workers are victims of workplace violence annually. Data from a Traliant survey of 1,000 employees nationwide found that almost one in four individuals have witnessed workplace violence happening to another employee in the last five years, with 12% having been the target of workplace violence themselves.  

Rossi said that 90% of respondents believe other states should adopt workplace violence prevention policies and training like California’s law, enacted July 1,2024. On September 4, New York passed a similar workplace protection law ─ the NY Retail Worker Safety Act ─ which applies to state retail businesses with at least 10 employees. 

With more workplace violence prevention laws coming, it’s important for all employers to be aware of the penalties they could face for not complying. For example, penalties for California employers who are not compliant include citations and fines that range from $5,000 up to $150,000. Employers who fail to take steps to protect workers from workplace violence can also face civil liability if an employee is seriously injured or killed in a workplace violence incident. 

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