Disclaimer: None of the content in this article constitutes legal advice, nor does it contain every detail or requirement of the applicable laws. It is provided solely for informational purposes and is not intended to be relied upon as a standalone resource. If you have questions about these laws or their implications for your organization, please consult your legal counsel.

Over the past several years, workplace violence has become a growing concern across industries — from healthcare to retail; tech to manufacturing. California, a long-time leader in worker protections, responded by passing Senate Bill 553 (SB 553), a landmark law that sets new standards for violence prevention in the workplace.

If you’re an employer with workers in California, July 1, 2024, marked more than just the start of summer. It introduced sweeping new compliance responsibilities — ones you’ll need to address not just once, but year after year.

This guide breaks down what SB 553 is, why it matters, who it applies to, and how your organization can stay compliant with an effective workplace violence prevention program.

What is SB 553?

SB 553, also known as the Workplace Violence Prevention Bill, requires California employers to implement comprehensive workplace violence prevention programs. This includes:

The law applies to nearly all employers in California, with a few specific exemptions (more on that below). It’s designed to equip employees with the tools to recognize, report, and respond to early signs of workplace violence — ultimately creating safer, more resilient work environments.

Why workplace violence prevention training matters

Workplace violence doesn’t always start with a punch or a headline-grabbing incident. More often, it begins quietly — a raised voice, a threatening email, a simmering conflict that goes unaddressed. By the time a situation escalates, it’s often too late to prevent harm.

That’s where workplace violence training comes in. Not as a check-the-box activity, but as a critical tool for building safer, more responsive workplaces. Here's why it's so important:

  • It helps employees spot red flags before they become real threats. Employees aren’t born knowing how to recognize warning signs — like intimidation, emotional volatility, or escalating behavior. Training helps them connect the dots early, before a situation spirals.
  • It empowers people to act, not freeze. Knowing what to do in a high-stress situation isn’t instinctive. Training gives employees the confidence to respond; whether that means de-escalating a confrontation, reporting a concern, or getting help fast.
  • It normalizes speaking up. When prevention is part of the culture, reporting concerns doesn’t feel like tattling; it feels like taking care of each other. That shift in mindset can be the difference between silence and action.
  • It expands our definition of violence. Violence isn’t always physical. It can be verbal abuse, bullying, harassment, or threats—online or in person. Effective training helps people recognize all forms of harm, not just the ones that leave visible bruises.
  • It addresses the deeper issues. The best programs don’t just focus on reactive measures. They shine a light on what causes violence in the first place — like chronic stress, burnout, inequity, or mental health struggles — and equip teams to address those issues proactively.

SB 553 FAQs: who's exempt, training requirements, and more

Over the last few weeks, we’ve been sharing tips on how to get your team compliant, while taking a deeper dive into the nuances of SB 553. We’ve compiled all of our resources here to help you get your own California workplace violence prevention plan in place before the deadline.

Which employers are subject to SB 553?

Nearly all employers with employees located in California are impacted by SB 553. In fact, it’s actually easier to describe who it doesn’t impact, so we'll do that instead. Here's who's exempt:

  • Employers already covered by Cal/OSHA’s Violence Prevention in Health Care standard
  • Employees who telework from a location of their choosing that’s outside the control of the employer
  • Locations not open to the public where fewer than 10 employees work at a given time
  • Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and law enforcement agencies

If you're unsure whether the new law applies to you and your employees, we recommend talking to a qualified employment counsel.

My employees in California operate out of a co-working space. Does the law still apply to me?

Simply put, it depends on whether or not said co-working space is "under the control of the employer". But what does that actually mean?

You might guess that if a location is "under the control" of an employer, it means they own and operate it. Not necessarily! It just means that the location was selected by the employer, and there's some sort of requirement for the employees to operate out of it; whether that's every weekday, a few times a week, or once a month.

To illustrate this, let’s explore three situations that involve a co-working space. We’ll call it VeeVerk.

  • Your remote, Los Angeles-based employee hates working from home, so they tend to telework out of their local VeeVerk, by their own choice. In this case, this employee would not subject you to SB 553.
  • Your distributed company has a satellite office at a VeeVerk in Oakland and requires its 15 Bay Area employees to come in at least three times a week. This employer likely would be subject to SB 553.
  • Your company is VeeVerk, and you have more than 10 employees working on-site and/or qualify as a workplace that’s accessible to the public. In this circumstance, you would almost certainly be subject to SB 553.

My employees in California are completely remote. Does this subject me to SB 553?

In this case, you would most likely be exempt from SB 553, since the employee's residence (or favorite coffee shop) is not under your control.

What do I need to do in order to be compliant?

To meet the new law’s requirements, employers need to create, implement, and maintain an effective workplace violence prevention plan. This includes:

  • Building relevant policies and procedures
  • Creating channels for reporting violent incidents and threats
  • Conducting ongoing annual training on the violence prevention plan
  • Maintaining records and documentation related to the above activities

Workplace Violence Prevention Checklist

What are the training requirements for SB 553?

According to SB 553, workplace violence prevention training must cover:

  • Your company’s Workplace Violence Prevention Plan
  • How employees can get a free copy of the Plan
  • How employees can get involved in developing and implementing the Plan
  • Key definitions and requirements
  • How employees can report workplace violence concerns (without fear of retaliation or reprisal)
  • A list of workplace violence hazards that are specific to your employees’ roles
  • The preventative measures that are currently in place
  • How to get help preventing or responding to violence
  • Strategies for avoiding physical harm in the event of a violent incident
  • The violent incident log (maintained by your company)
  • How employees (and/or their representatives) can get copies of records
  • An opportunity for an interactive Q&A session with a person knowledgeable about the Plan

How long should the training be?

As of April 2025, there are no specific requirements regarding the length of the workplace violence prevention training. Existing courses from compliance training providers vary from 10-60 minutes.

Ethena's workplace violence prevention training is just 15 minutes long, meets accessibility standards, is customizable, and can be delivered via Ethena or your own LMS (via SCORM). Topics covered include:

  • Response and emergency preparedness: Crisis response protocols and post-incident reporting
  • Understanding workplace violence: Definitions, types of violence, and common risk factors
  • Recognizing warning signs: How to identify potential threats, escalating behaviors, and early intervention strategies
  • Prevention strategies: De-escalation techniques and reporting procedures

Is an anonymous form good enough to meet the training requirements?

Under SB 553, employers must provide clear channels for reporting workplace violence and maintain a detailed violent incident log. While it might be tempting to rely on a simple anonymous form to check that box, that approach likely falls short.

Anonymous forms offer limited insight — usually just one person’s version of events, with little room for follow-up. But to complete the incident log as required by law, you need deeper details: the who, what, where, when, why, and how, plus what steps are being taken to prevent a repeat incident.

Tools like Ethena’s Ethics Hotline and HR Case Management System give you a way to gather that critical context. You can follow up with reporters, collect witness statements, and document your response — all of which go far beyond what an anonymous form alone can provide.

You don’t have to choose between compliance and clarity. With the right tools in place, you can have both.

What does the violent incident log need to do?

According to the Bill, a violent incident log must document the details of any incident, with entries based on information gleaned from those employees who experienced the violence, any available witness statements, and on the findings turned up in the ensuing investigation. The log also shouldn’t include any personal identifying information for anyone involved.

Getting even more specific, each entry in the violent incident log must include the following:

  • The date, time, and location of the incident
  • The type(s) of workplace violence
  • A detailed description of the incident
  • A classification of the incident’s perpetrator. Was it a client, a customer, a client or customer’s family or friend, a stranger with criminal intent, a coworker, supervisor, manager, romantic partner, relative, or other perpetrator?
  • An analysis of the circumstances surrounding the event. Examples include: the employee was in a rush, working in a poorly-lit area, completing tasks outside their typical job duties, working in isolation, unable to get help, working somewhere new or unfamiliar, or in a community setting.
  • An even more detailed location description. Did this happen at work, on the way to work, outside of work, in the parking lot, etc.?
  • The type of incident, and specifically whether it included: a physical attack without a weapon; an attack with a weapon or weapon-like object; the threat of physical force or the use of a weapon; a sexual assault or the threat of such an assault; animal attack
  • Consequences of the incident, including (1) was security or law enforcement summoned, and if so, what was their response? And (2) what actions have been taken to ensure that employees will be protected from a continued threat or any other potential hazards revealed by the incident? 

And finally, information for the person filling out the log, including name, job title, and date.

By our count, that’s eight separate bullet points that need to be covered. So the more tools in your tool belt (like our Ethics Hotline and HR Case Management System, for example) the more easily you can check these off your list. 

Am I required to keep any records?

Yes. You’re required to maintain training records for at least a year, and to ensure that those records include:

  • Dates over which the training was completed
  • Contents of the training, or a summary of what was covered in the sessions
  • Names and qualifications of those who conducted the trainings, and
  • Names and job titles of everyone in attendance for the training sessions

These records must also be made available upon request for examination and copying in the event of an audit. And they also need to be made available to employees and/or their representatives at no cost and within 15 calendar days of the request.

The bottom line

California Senate Bill 553 emphasizes the state's commitment to prioritizing safety and security through proactive measures. By mandating violence prevention training, SB 553 lays the foundation for creating safer environments where everyone can thrive, free from the fear of violence.

Under SB 553, organizations are required to meet a recurring annual training requirement that is specific to each company’s risks and plans. At Ethena, we want to help you take the guesswork out of compliance training. That’s why we have created our Workplace Violence Prevention course (<20 minutes long!), designed to meet the requirements of this new legislation. Preview the training for free below, or get in touch with our team to learn more.