On June 28, 2022, the Los Angeles City Council passed an ordinance designed to increase safety protections for hotel workers in hotels, to limit their daily workload, and to raise their wages. Mayor Eric Garcetti is anticipated to sign the ordinance, which would then take effect 30 days later.

Called the “Hotel Worker Protection Ordinance,” or HWPO, the new law is similar to an ordinance passed last year by the City of West Hollywood.

The following are some of the primary requirements under the HWPO:

Personal Security Devices

Under the HWPO, hotel employers within the City of Los Angeles must provide employees with personal security devices, commonly referred to as “panic buttons,” when assigned to work in a guest room or restroom facility where other workers are not assigned to be present. Hotel employers must provide annual training on using the devices.

Hotel employers shall at all times have a designated and assigned security guard who can receive alerts from the device and can provide on-scene assistance. Hotels with fewer than 60 guest rooms may train a hotel supervisor or manager to fulfill this function in lieu of a security guard.

The HWPO also provides certain rights to hotel employees who report violent or threatening conduct by hotel guests, including reasonable accommodation and paid time off to report such incidents to law enforcement.

Workload and Hours Limitations

HWPO puts limitations on the amount of square footage that hotel employees can be required to clean on a particular workday without triggering wage premiums. The amounts vary based on the size of the hotel and whether any of the space consists of “special-attention” rooms.  Hotel employers also must maintain records, in addition to standardly-required records for all California employers, such as the square footage of all rooms cleaned on a daily basis, for at least three years.

Under HWPO, hotel employers may not require workers to work more than 10 hours in a workday unless the worker consents in writing to do so.

Notice

Hotel employers in the City shall provide written notice of the rights outlined in the ordinance to employees at the time of hire or within 30 days of the effective date.

If you have questions about the Los Angeles Hotel Worker Protection Ordinance or related issues, you may contact the author of this article or the Jackson Lewis attorney with whom you regularly work.