Los Angeles hospitality employers should be aware of an update regarding the Hotel Worker Training Ordinance.

The City has released its list of Certified Public Housekeeping Training Organizations (PHTOs), and beginning December 1, 2025, covered hotels must provide paid public housekeeping training through one of these approved providers. Hotels should begin preparing now to ensure compliance and avoid operational disruption.

Under the Ordinance, Hotel Employers must offer at least 5.5 hours of public housekeeping training to Room Attendants. The City has recently confirmed that the Human Trafficking component has been removed from the required curriculum, resulting in a 30-minute reduction in total training time. Despite this adjustment, the training remains comprehensive and must cover the safety, hazard recognition, cleaning, health, and worker-rights topics outlined in LAMC 182.22.C.2.

Importantly, the training must be conducted by a certified PHTO, and employers are responsible for paying both the training cost and the employee’s time spent in the program. This requirement applies to all covered Room Attendants, including part-time employees and new hires. Because only approved organizations may deliver the required course, hotels should begin coordination early to avoid scheduling bottlenecks.

The City has certified organizations that may provide the training. This list is available on the City’s website.

In addition to the training requirement, hotels should be aware that this Ordinance operates within a broader framework governing hotel worker protections in Los Angeles, which includes safety device (also known as panic buttons) obligations, workload limitations, and record-keeping requirements. Coordinating compliance across these overlapping rules can help reduce legal exposure and ensure consistent operational practices.

For employers, the next several months present an opportunity to review coverage under the Ordinance, budget for both training fees and payroll costs, evaluate scheduling impacts, and establish processes for onboarding newly hired Room Attendants. Given the anticipated demand on approved training organizations, reaching out early to schedule sessions will likely be essential.

If you have questions about the hotel worker training ordinance or related issues, contact a Jackson Lewis attorney to discuss.