The Hotel Worker Protection Ordinance (“HWPO”), passed by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, became operative April 1, 2026 and its housekeeping training requirements take effect on October 1, 2026. Hotel employers covered by the HWPO are subject to a swath of new legal obligations concerning workplace safety, workload and overtime limitations, and training.

Determining Whether Your Hotel Is Covered.

The HWPO applies to employers in unincorporated areas of L.A. County who own, control, or operate a hotel—and includes contractors who employ hotel workers. To be clear, hotel properties in incorporated areas (even including L.A. County) are excluded from the HWPO and remain governed by respective municipal ordinances. Thus, employers should carefully determine whether their properties are governed by the HWPO.

The HWPO covers all workers employed by covered hotels; but excludes managerial, supervisory, or confidential employees (employees whose duties involve access to confidential information, usually in regard to the employer’s labor relations). Accordingly, a broad range of hotel workers, including but not limited to maintenance workers, food service workers, housekeeping staff, and front desk workers, fall under the HWPO.

Exceptions to Coverage

Hotels in unincorporated areas of L.A. County are not governed by the HWPO in two narrow circumstances. First, a collective bargaining agreement can waive the HWPO if the waiver is explicit, clear, and unambiguous....

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