In this episode, we welcome Mary Simmons to discuss the latest developments in workplace violence prevention laws in California. Mary and Mike sit down to discuss the impacts of the law, and how businesses can best prepare. Mary gives advice on how employers should best construct their plans, the need to get feedback from employees, and the risks employers face by not complying with the new law.

Takeaways:

• To ensure effective employee engagement and adherence to safety policies, it's crucial to encourage staff to provide suggestions and feedback during the creation and review of these policies.
• Your policy should clearly outline actions to take when individuals feel threatened, regardless of whether the threat is explicit, or more subjective. Emphasize the necessity of having a predefined plan to address these situations as required by law.
• It's crucial to ensure employees know they can provide feedback and find the policy easily. Additionally, thorough training and clear communication channels will help facilitate questions, comments, and suggestions about the plan.
• Ensure transparency by providing feedback on suggestions, explaining why they were or were not implemented. This fosters trust and acknowledges the importance of each contribution.
• Given the urgency and the need for interaction, live virtual training is the most effective approach. While e-training is an option, it lacks the real-time feedback and interaction that in-person or live virtual sessions can provide.
• Employers need to maintain a comprehensive log of all workplace violence incidents, including detailed information without personal names in order to stay compliant with California OSHA.
• When preparing workplace policies, ensure they are documented, easily accessible to all employees, and kept for a minimum of five years to comply with California’s legal requirements.

Quote of the Show:

• “You don't want employees to be scared to bring a concern forward because then you're going to hear about it too late.” - Mary Simmons

Links:

• CAL OSHA doc: https://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/dosh_publications/WPV-General-Industry-for-employers-fs.pdf
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marysimmonshrconsultant/
• Company Website: https://www.asuresoftware.com/

Ways to Tune In:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2XThTdn7YC1lkAm0PgZUkj
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