Workplace violence prevention - Minnesota

Minnesota’s Violence Against Health Care Workers law applies to hospital employers. Requirements include:

• Action plan committees: Hospitals must designate safety committees made up of a variety of representatives of the health care workers in the hospital, including non-managerial health care workers, non-clinical staff, administrators, patient safety experts, and other appropriate personnel. The hospital must work with the action plan committee to establish written workplace violence preparedness and incident response action plans.
• Action plans: Following are some required elements of the preparedness and incident response action plan:
  • Identification and evaluation of risk factors in the workplace and immediate surrounding areas (such as outdoor spaces or parking lots);
  • Procedures for reviewing workplace violence incidents that occurred at the facility over the previous year;
  • Procedures for health care workers to document and report incidents of violence;
  • Periodic safety training for health care workers who are covered by the action plan (training must take place before a worker completes a first independent shift, and annually thereafter);
  • Annual review and update of action plans.
• Disclosure: Hospitals must make their most recent action plans available to law enforcement, direct care staff, and representatives of collective bargaining units (if applicable). An annual report must be submitted to the state legislative committees with jurisdiction over health care (beginning January 2026).

Hospitals may not prevent a worker from seeking assistance from local emergency services or law enforcement when a violent incident occurs, or take punitive or retaliatory action against a worker for doing so.

Related information

• Workplace violence prevention - ezExplanation
• Active shooter - ezExplanation
• Workplace violence in health care - ezExplanation
• Workplace violence in retail - ezExplanation

Citations

• Minn. Stat. 144.566
• 29 USC 654 — Duties of employers and employees (General Duty Clause)