2022 Panic button legislation
On Thursday, July 7, 2022, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti signed the Hotel Worker Protection Ordinance[RK1], which requires hotels to provide workers with personal-security devices to protect them from violence or threatening guests while also extending minimum wage requirements to smaller hotels.
Before being sent to Mayor Garcetti, the measure was approved on June 28, 2022, by the Los Angeles City Council. The Hotel Worker Protection Ordinance initiative was initially proposed by UNITE HERE Local 11, who led a successful petition drive to bring the ordinance to the City Council.
Key points from the Hotel Worker Protection Ordinance:
Personal Security Devices
Hotels must provide a personal electronic security device[RK2], commonly called a “panic button,” to each hotel worker assigned to a guest room or restroom facility where no other hotel workers are assigned to be present. Hotels with 60 or more guest rooms must have a designated security guard and be assigned to receive panic button alerts and provide immediate assistance in the event of an alert. Hotels with less than 60 rooms may use a hotel manager or supervisor to fulfill this requirement but must provide specific training to the assigned manager or supervisor. Suppose a hotel employer designates a manager or supervisory hotel staff member; the hotel employer shall provide no fewer than three (3) hours of training to the manager or supervisory hotel staff member on the requirements of this ordinance; proper instruction on the execution and maintenance of the hotel’s security devices; and the protocols for responding to an activated, personal security device. Training needs to be conducted annually, and the employer shall maintain accurate records demonstrating attendance at such training.
Notice
A hotel employer shall place on the back of the entrance door to each guest room and restroom facility in a hotel a sign with designated requirements (Location Tech can provide further details) notifying guests that the hotel employer provides personal security devices to its employees.
Training
A hotel employer shall provide annual training to its hotel workers regarding how to use and maintain a personal security, the hotel employer’s protocol for responding to the activation of a private security device, the rights of hotel workers, and the obligations of the hotel employer per the ordinance. Such training shall be provided to hotel workers by the later of thirty days after the effective date or within one month of the hotel worker’s hire date. The employer is required to maintain records demonstrating attendance at such
Daily Room Cleaning
The Ordinance effectively mandates daily room cleaning absent a guest’s opt-out of such service.
Workload Limitations and Compensation
The Ordinance limits the number of square feet room attendants may clean in an 8-hour workday, depending upon the number of guest rooms in the hotel, the type of rooms the room attendant cleans, and the number of buildings in which the room attendant cleans. In general, hotels with 45-59 guest rooms cannot require room attendants to clean more than 4,000 square feet of floor space in an 8-hour workday, and hotels with 60 or more guest rooms cannot require room attendants to clean more than 3,500 square feet of floor space in any 8-hour workday.[RK3]
Non-Compliance
Non-compliance carries a penalty of up to $1000 per day. The fine is $100 per person per day with a maximum of $1000 per day