New legislation aimed at reducing workplace violence in California vastly increases employers’ responsibilities and hands workers’ compensation insurers an unprecedented oversight role that is likely to trigger lawsuits and affect rates and capacity.
The Workplace Violence Prevention Bill SB 553, which comes into effect on July 1, is the first sector-agnostic piece of legislation by a US state aimed at tackling what has become an urgent issue. In other words, any employer and sector of work must respond. It reflects a nationwide push to extend workplace violence prevention measures beyond healthcare and applies to all