Workplace violence prevention training requirements in California

Labor Code section 6401.9 requires California employers to establish, implement and maintain an effective workplace violence prevention plan. The state agency that enforces it is Cal/OSHA, and its workplace violence page lists the law and the guidance. The plan requirement took effect July 1, 2024, so a covered employer without a written plan today is already behind.

The statute applies to all employers, employees and places of employment, then lists six exemptions in subdivision (b)(2), several of them conditional:

• Health care facilities, service categories and operations covered by section 3342 of Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations
• Employers that comply with section 3342
• Facilities operated by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, if they comply with section 3203 of Title 8
• Law enforcement agencies that meet the statute’s POST compliance conditions, and only if all of their facilities comply with section 3203
• Employees teleworking from a location of their choice that the employer does not control
• Places of employment with fewer than 10 employees working there at any given time that are not accessible to the public, if they comply with section 3203 (the injury and illness prevention program rule)

I flag the last two because they are the ones HR teams over-apply, and the small-workplace exemption only holds if the employer also complies with the injury and illness prevention program rule. A company with a small headcount is not exempt if people are on site and the public can walk in. A remote employee working from a coworking space the employer pays for is a different case from one working at the kitchen table. Check the facts against the text, not against a vendor’s summary.

This article offers general information, not legal advice. Laws change and facts vary, so confirm how they apply to your situation.

The plan has to be in writing, and it must be available and easy to understand for employees. It can sit inside the injury and illness prevention program or stand alone. These are the elements I look for when I review one:

The statute describes four types of workplace violence, and a plan that handles only one is incomplete. Type 1 is violence by someone with no legitimate business at the site, usually with criminal intent. Type 2 is violence by a customer, client or patient. Type 3 is violence by a current or former employee, supervisor or manager. Type 4 is violence by someone with a personal relationship with an employee, such as a partner.

Employees need training when the plan is first set up and then annually. The statute says the training must give employees an opportunity for interactive questions and answers with a person knowledgeable about the employer’s plan. That sentence is the one that matters for format.

A recorded course with no way to ask a question is hard to square with the interactive requirement. A live session is the cleaner fit, which is why our guide to California live training mandates covers it next to the harassment duty. The training content should cover the plan itself, the definitions and types of workplace violence, how to report a concern, how to get help, the hazards specific to the workplace and the corrective measures in place.

My recommendation: do not buy a generic course and call the plan done. The training has to reflect your plan and your site. A knowledgeable person, ideally someone who can answer a question about how your own reporting steps work, has to be in the room. If you cannot name that person, your plan is not finished.

The retention periods come from the statute, as summarized by California Public Law and the Cal/OSHA guidance. Hazard records, training records and violent incident logs must be available to employees and their representatives on request, without cost, for examination and copying within 15 calendar days. Training records must include the dates, a summary of the contents, the names and qualifications of the trainers and the names and job titles of attendees.

The retention gap between training records and the rest surprises people. Training records are kept for one year, which is shorter than the two years for harassment training under the Fair Employment and Housing Act regulations. I would keep both for at least two years in the same folder, because the longer period costs nothing and removes a reason to remember which clock applies.

The two duties overlap on one point: a sexual harassment complaint can also be a workplace violence concern, and the plan should say who handles it. They differ in the clock, the regulator and the format. I cover the harassment side in California harassment training requirements, and the question of whether one session can do both in do I need workplace violence training too.

The definitions in subdivision (a)(6) are the backbone of a good plan and of good training. The statute defines workplace violence as any act of violence or threat of violence that occurs in a place of employment. It includes the threat or use of physical force that results in, or is likely to result in, injury or psychological trauma, and an incident involving a firearm or other dangerous weapon, including common objects used as weapons. It does not include lawful acts of self-defense or defense of others.

The examples above are hypothetical, and they are the kind of scenario I would use in a live session. Each type calls for a different control. Type 1 leans on physical layout and emergency procedures. Type 2 leans on de-escalation and a way to ask for help. Type 3 leans on reporting channels and how separations are handled. Type 4 leans on how an employee can tell someone about a safety concern without fear of reprisal.

Managers carry most of the load in Types 2 to 4, because they are the people employees tell. For the skills side, see first time manager training. For how a conduct complaint is handled once it is made, see harassment defense training.

Cal/OSHA has been working on a regulation that would turn these statutory duties into a detailed Title 8 standard. Occupational Health & Safety reported on August 5, 2026 that the agency released an updated draft rule. Based on that report, the standard was still in the discussion draft stage and had not been adopted. The statute directs Cal/OSHA to adopt a standard by December 31, 2026.

For you, the practical point is that section 6401.9 applies now and the plan duty does not wait for the regulation. When the standard is adopted, expect it to add detail rather than replace the statute. I would build the plan to the statute today and plan to review it once the final text is published. Check Cal/OSHA’s site before you rely on any date here, since I wrote this on October 17, 2026.

Assume an employer with a covered California site completes its first annual training on March 12, 2026, and logs one violent incident on June 5, 2026. Here is how the dates fall out under the retention periods above.

If an employee asks to see the incident log on October 1, 2026, the employer has until October 16, 2026 to provide access, which is 15 calendar days. The example is hypothetical. Your own dates will differ, but the exercise shows why I put every date in a tracker on the day the record is made.

Is a workplace violence prevention plan required in California?

Yes, for most employers. Labor Code section 6401.9 requires an effective written plan, and the requirement took effect July 1, 2024. The statute lists exemptions, so check subdivision (b) against your facts.

Who has to take workplace violence training?

Employees covered by the plan. Training is required when the plan is set up and annually after that.

Does the training have to be live?

The statute requires an opportunity for interactive questions and answers with a person knowledgeable about the plan. A live session is the simplest way to meet that.

How long do I keep workplace violence training records?

One year. Hazard records, incident logs and injury investigation records are kept five years.

Is workplace violence training the same as harassment training?

No. They come from different laws, are enforced by different agencies and run on different clocks. One session can cover both topics, but each duty has to be met on its own terms.

Is Cal/OSHA adopting a final standard?

As of the August 2026 report I read, a revised draft had been released and the statute requires adoption by December 31, 2026. Check Cal/OSHA for the current status.