Charter Schools should be aware that on September 6, 2023, Governor Hochul signed into law an amendment to the Workplace Violence Prevention Law that extended its coverage to charter schools. The amendment went into effect on January 4, 2024, and imposed the following requirements and implementation deadlines on charter schools:

         •   Develop and publish a written policy statement regarding your school’s workplace        violence prevention program goals and objectives (February 3, 2024);

        •  Conduct a risk evaluation by examining the workplace for potential hazards (March 4,      2024);

        •   Develop a written workplace violence prevention program that explains how your school    will implement its prevention policies, identifies the risks uncovered during the risk evaluation,    describes how you will address those risks, and includes a system to report any incidents of    workplace violence (March 19, 2024);

       •   Provide training and information for employees regarding the program;

       •   Document incidents of workplace violence and maintain those records; and

       •   Annually review all workplace violence incidents with an authorized employee  representative.

Schools must be fully in compliance with all regulatory requirements by May 3, 2024. We recommend that charter schools meet with their legal counsel to review and fully understand the law, its practical implications, and the measures schools must take to ensure compliance. If you require assistance in doing so or have any questions on how this law will impact your school, please do not hesitate to contact us.

This is not legal advice and is attorney advertising.