An Act requiring human service employers to develop and implement programs that prevent workplace violence

This bill requires human service employers in Massachusetts with five or more employees to create and enforce programs designed to prevent workplace violence. To achieve this, the law mandates that these employers conduct annual risk assessments in cooperation with staff and unions to identify specific dangers, such as working late hours or in high-crime areas. Based on these assessments, employers must develop written prevention plans that include employee training, security improvements, and systems for reporting incidents, while also establishing crisis response teams to support victims of violence. The Massachusetts Commissioner of Labor will set detailed rules for compliance, and employers who fail to follow these requirements face fines of up to $2,000 per offense.