The California Legislature passed Senator Dave Cortese’s Senate Bill (SB) 553 on September 12th.

Slated to go into effect in January 2025, the bill would require employers to "develop their own workplace violence prevention plans as part of their Cal/OSHA Injury Illness Prevention Plans." Employers would also be required to provide thorough training to employees on the prevention plan as well as maintaining logs of violent incidents. 

Given what the bill requires, there will be significant need for HR partnerships to be in place for employers. Here are some things that will need to be done, just to begin:

Changes in Employment Laws and Regulations: If SB 553 is related to employment or labor, it could introduce new laws and regulations that HR departments would need to comply with. This might involve changes in areas such as minimum wage, overtime rules, discrimination laws, or other aspects of employment law.

Policy and Procedure Updates: HR would likely need to review and potentially update company policies and procedures to align with the new legislation. This could include policies related to leave, benefits, harassment, discrimination, or any other area affected by the bill.

Training and Education: If the bill introduces new requirements or changes in compliance, HR may need to conduct training sessions for employees and managers to ensure they understand the new rules and how they impact the workplace.

Recordkeeping and Reporting: New legislation often comes with requirements for recordkeeping and reporting. HR might need to implement new systems or processes to ensure compliance.

Compensation and Benefits: Depending on the nature of the bill, it could impact how companies handle compensation and benefits. This might involve changes in pay structures, benefits offerings, or other aspects of total rewards.

Recruitment and Hiring: If the bill impacts areas like hiring practices, background checks, or other pre-employment processes, HR would need to adjust their recruitment strategies accordingly.

Legal Compliance and Risk Management: HR would need to closely monitor compliance with the new legislation to avoid legal risks or penalties. This might involve working with legal counsel and potentially adjusting business practices.

Employee Relations: Changes in employment laws can have an impact on the employer-employee relationship. HR may need to address questions or concerns from employees related to the new legislation.

It's important to note that the specific impact of SB 553 would depend on the details and provisions of the bill itself. HR teams would need to carefully review the language of the bill once it's passed and work to implement any necessary changes in compliance with the law. SB 553 will be sent to Gov. Gavin Newsom for approval. Read more about the bill here: https://lnkd.in/gCJcsKjF. 

And don’t worry! Retain is monitoring this closely and we have already begun the process of evaluating training vendors and drafting policy content so we will be ready if/when this is implemented. As per usual, we will handle all of the strategy, implementation, tracking and communication plans for this for all of our current clients and for anyone else who needs some help, please feel free to reach out to hello@retainhr.com and we are happy to chat!