Over the past few years, cities have started to implement their own workplace regulations, an area previously reserved to federal and state governments. The hotel industry, which often is one of the primary drivers of a local economy, has been a particular focus.1 City governments, including Santa Monica and Oakland, California, have already regulated the workload of housekeeping staff. Another trend that has developed in the hospitality industry is the push for “panic buttons” for housekeeping staff. Hotel panic button laws currently are in effect in such locations as Washington State; Chicago, Illinois; Miami Beach, Florida; Long Beach, California; and Oakland, California. Los Angeles will soon join that list.
On July 7, 2022, the mayor of Los Angeles signed a new ordinance, officially called the Regarding Workplace Security, Workload, Wage, and Retention Measure for Hotel Workers Ordinance. This will establish Section 182 of Article 2 of Chapter 28 of the LA Municipal Code. This ordinance is designed to protect hotel workers from sexual assault and other crimes as they often clean hotel rooms alone. The ordinance also institutes worker protections by establishing maximum square footage requirements that a worker is assigned to clean. The overtime requirements are addressed, in addition to remedies for the hotel workers for violations of these new requirements.
The new ordinance highlights are listed below:
Personal Security Devices Now Required
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