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Workplace Violence Prevention Laws Sweep Nation: 2025 Compliance Guide

By Warren Pulley, CrisisWire Threat Assessment Expert


In February 2025, a psychiatric patient at HCA Palms West Hospital in Florida brutally attacked a nurse, breaking nearly every bone in her face and potentially causing permanent blindness. The incident represents one of 57,610 nonfatal workplace violence cases nationwide in 2023 that resulted in days away from work, job restrictions, or transfers. As violence against workers escalates across industries, state legislatures are responding with unprecedented regulatory action requiring employers to implement formal workplace violence prevention programs.


California pioneered comprehensive workplace violence legislation with SB 553 taking effect January 2024—the nation's first multi-industry mandate requiring written prevention plans, employee training, incident logging, and hazard assessments for employers with ten or more employees. The law's passage triggered a cascade of similar legislation across states, with Ohio, New York, Massachusetts, Alaska, and Pennsylvania introducing or passing workplace violence prevention requirements throughout 2025. Organizations operating in multiple states now face complex compliance obligations as regulatory frameworks vary by jurisdiction.


The federal landscape remains fragmented despite bipartisan support for the Workplace Violence Prevention for Healthcare and Social Service Workers Act, which passed the House but stalls in Senate review. Until federal standards emerge, employers must navigate state-by-state requirements while understanding that workplace violence represents the third-leading cause of fatal occupational injuries nationwide, with 740 workplace fatalities from violent acts in 2023 according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data.


Research published in The Prepared Leader: Threat Assessment & Emergency Planning demonstrates that structured workplace violence prevention programs reduce incidents by 68-82% when properly implemented. Additional analysis available in The Prepared Leader provides executive guidance on organizational implementation strategies.



Workplace Violence Prevention Laws Sweep Nation: 2025 Compliance Guide
Workplace Violence Prevention Laws Sweep Nation: 2025 Compliance Guide

State Legislative Landscape: Regional Requirements Taking Effect


California's SB 553 established the compliance baseline other states now follow. The law requires employers to conduct workplace violence hazard assessments, develop written prevention plans accessible to employees, provide annual training, maintain violent incident logs, and establish procedures for reporting workplace violence without retaliation. Enforcement began July 2024 with Cal/OSHA citations for non-compliance reaching $25,000 per serious violation. Framework detailed in How to Conduct an Insider Threat Audit in 10 Steps provides audit protocols ensuring organizational readiness.


Ohio's HB 452 signed January 2025 requires hospitals and hospital systems to establish security plans preventing workplace violence by April 2025. Plans must be developed with input from current or former patients and healthcare employees providing direct patient care, based on security risk assessments addressing high-risk areas like emergency and psychiatric departments.


Hospitals must ensure security personnel receive de-escalation training and maintain at least one trained employee in emergency and psychiatric departments at all times. The legislation establishes workplace violence incident reporting systems tracking attacks. Analysis available in Insider Threats in Hospitals: Silent Dangers Within Your Walls, Insider Threats in Hospitals, and Insider Threats in Hospitals. Implementation frameworks through Insider Threat Management services.


New York's Assembly Bill 203 introduced January 2025 requires all general hospitals to establish violence prevention programs meeting Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services conditions of participation and Joint Commission workplace violence standards. Hospitals in cities or counties with populations exceeding one million must maintain at least one off-duty law enforcement officer or trained security personnel in emergency departments at all times. Smaller jurisdictions require similar security with emergency department proximity prioritized. Critical access hospitals, sole community hospitals, and rural emergency hospitals receive exemptions unless experiencing increased violence rates.


Alaska's Senate Bill 49 pre-filed January 2025 enables employers to file workplace violence protective orders against individuals who committed workplace violence or made credible threats. The bill outlines processes for obtaining standard and ex-parte protective orders, including issuance conditions and available relief types. It amends existing laws incorporating workplace violence protective orders and specifies district judge and magistrate responsibilities. Additional research in Leadership Liability in Crisis: How CEOs Can Be Held Responsible, Leadership Liability in Crisis CEOs, and Leadership Liability in Crisis. Protective order management protocols available through Corporate Threat Assessment Consulting.


Massachusetts House Bill 1856 and Pennsylvania legislation under review follow similar patterns—requiring risk assessments, written prevention plans, employee training, and incident reporting systems. The regulatory trend clearly indicates nationwide movement toward mandatory workplace violence prevention programs within three to five years as states observe California's implementation success.


Federal Requirements and Industry-Specific Mandates


OSHA workplace violence guidelines apply to all employers despite lacking formal regulation status. Cal/OSHA uses these guidelines as enforcement basis, and other state OSHA programs increasingly adopt similar interpretation. Guidelines require employers to conduct hazard assessments, implement violence prevention policies, train employees on threat recognition and response, and maintain incident records. Resources available at OSHA Workplace Violence, ASIS International, and FEMA IS-906: Workplace Security Awareness. Training programs through Workplace Safety Training and Threat Management Training.


Joint Commission standards require healthcare facilities to implement workplace violence prevention programs including threat assessment, staff training, and incident analysis. Accreditation depends on compliance. Twelve states—California, Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Texas, and Washington—enacted healthcare-specific workplace violence regulations predating broader multi-industry requirements. Services available through Healthcare Threat Assessment Consulting.


Retail Worker Safety Act (New York S8358) taking effect 2025 requires retail employers to adopt workplace violence prevention policies, provide training, and implement panic button systems for employee emergency notification. Similar retail-specific legislation pending in New Jersey and Illinois targets industries experiencing high rates of customer-initiated violence including robberies, theft confrontations, and customer disputes.

Federal frameworks from FBI Making Prevention a Reality, DHS Threat Assessment Resources, and Secret Service Threat Assessment provide threat assessment methodologies applicable across industries.


High-Risk Industries Requiring Immediate Action


Healthcare workers experience workplace violence at rates five times higher than other occupations, with 75% of workplace violence incidents occurring in healthcare settings according to NIOSH data. The 2025 Joint Commission requirements and state legislation specifically target healthcare due to documented assault patterns against nurses, physicians, and support staff from patients experiencing mental health crises, substance abuse withdrawal, or dissatisfaction with care. Training available through Workplace Violence Prevention Solutions and Workplace Violence Prevention.


Retail workers face 25% of workplace violence incidents from theft confrontations, customer disputes, and robberies. Organized retail crime targeting luxury goods creates ongoing threat environments requiring employee protection protocols. Resources in Case Study: SMBs That Survived vs. Collapsed, SMB Case Study: Survival vs. Collapse, and SMB Case Study. Small business security strategies available through Security Training Programs and Active Shooter Preparedness Consulting.


Transportation and warehousing report 15% of workplace violence cases. Drivers and logistics workers face risks from both internal conflicts and external threats including hijackings, customer confrontations, and robbery attempts during deliveries.


Education sector accounts for 10% of incidents. Teachers and staff encounter violence from students or parents during disciplinary actions, grade disputes, or special education disagreements. Framework in School Threat Assessments 2025: Preventing Violence Before It Happens, School Threat Assessments 2025, and School Threat Assessments 2025. Educational institution protocols available through K-12 Threat Assessment Consulting, School Threat Assessment Consulting, and Higher Education Threat Assessment Consulting.


Hospitality workers experience 8% of workplace violence cases. Guest interactions, late hours, alcohol service, and isolated work locations contribute to vulnerability. Analysis in The Rising Threat to CEOs: Lessons from World Security Report 2025, Rising Threat to CEOs 2025, and Rising Threat to CEOs. Executive protection frameworks through Executive Protection Consulting.


Essential Program Components for Compliance


Workplace violence prevention policies must define prohibited behaviors including physical assault, threats, intimidation, harassment, and weapons possession. Policies should establish zero-tolerance standards, reporting obligations, non-retaliation protections, investigation procedures, and disciplinary consequences. Template policies available through Emergency Management Planning.


Hazard assessments evaluate facility vulnerabilities, high-risk job functions, concerning employee behaviors, and historical incident patterns. Assessments identify whether organizations face Type I violence (criminal intent), Type II (customer/client), Type III (worker-on-worker), or Type IV (personal relationships) risks requiring different prevention strategies. Protocols in Physical Threat Assessments.


Threat assessment teams provide multidisciplinary evaluation when concerning behaviors emerge. Teams typically include security, human resources, legal counsel, mental health professionals, and operations managers who assess threats using structured professional judgment rather than algorithmic prediction. Training through Behavioral Threat Assessment & Management and Behavioral Threat Assessment Fundamentals.


Employee training must occur annually covering threat recognition, de-escalation techniques, reporting procedures, emergency response protocols, and workplace violence policy requirements. Training should adapt to job-specific risks—front-line staff need different skills than supervisors or security personnel. Resources at Specialized Security Training, Emergency Response Training, FEMA IS-907: Active Shooter, and FEMA IS-915: Protecting Critical Infrastructure.



Key training topics:

  • Warning behaviors indicating escalating threat risk

  • De-escalation techniques for agitated individuals

  • Reporting procedures and non-retaliation protections

  • Emergency response protocols including Run-Hide-Fight

  • Pre-termination threat assessment for high-risk separations

  • Domestic violence spillover recognition and response


Incident logging tracks all workplace violence events including threats, verbal abuse, intimidation, physical assault, and weapons possession. Logs must document incident details, witnesses, injuries, law enforcement notifications, and corrective actions taken. Regular log review identifies patterns requiring enhanced prevention measures. Documentation protocols available through Government Threat Assessment Consulting and interactive tools at Hawaii Threat Assessment Guide.


Get National Workplace Violence Prevention Expertise


CrisisWire Threat Management Solutions provides comprehensive workplace violence prevention programs meeting state and federal compliance requirements. Services include policy development, hazard assessments, threat assessment team training, employee education, and incident response protocols. Methodologies align with Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS) frameworks and federal guidelines.


Contact CrisisWire:

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About the Author:

Warren Pulley, founder of CrisisWire Threat Management Solutions, has 40 years of experience in security operations including U.S. Air Force, LAPD, Baghdad Embassy Protection, and Director of Safety at Chaminade University. He holds 30+ certifications including U.S. State Department Worldwide Protective Specialist and is a Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS) member.

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