Lone working in hotels

Due to incredibly high rates of sexual harassment and assault, alongside other types of violence and abuse, several cities and states across the US have brought in hotel-specific legislation.

From Illinois to Washington, and New York City to Santa Monica, more and more public bodies are bringing in laws to protect hotel workers (and workers from other service industries).

What are the risks or working alone in a hotel in the USA?

Over a ten-year period, 5,000 sexual harassment complaints were made by hotel and restaurant workers –higher than any other industry.

While the risks of sexual harassment and assault, as well as broader violence and abuse, should be taken seriously across the entire service sector, these risks are particularly worrying for the hotel industry.

Not only are hotel workers exposed to the high risks associated with working late and working with the public –many of whom are under the influence of alcohol, but the industry also struggles from a severe lack of supervision. This is, in part, due to the size and nature of hotels which, understandably, require a high level of privacy.

Hotel workers and panic alarms

Due to the aforementioned risks of abuse and violence, a number of cities and states have brought in lone working laws for hotel or hospitality workers.

These laws require employers to provide their at-risk hotel staff with panic alarms. If the worker feels threatened, they can tap their alarm and an emergency alert will be sent out. 

Areas that require at-risk hotel workers to be provided panic alarms include:

• Illinois

• New Jersey

• Washington (also extends to other service industries)

• New York City

• Seattle

• Chicago

• Miami

• Santa Monica

• Sacramento

• Oakland

This list is always subject to change, as more cities and states bring in lone worker legislation for hotel workers (for instance Massachusetts which, as of early 2021, is in the process of signing a new panic-alarm bill).

So what panic alarm is right for your hotel workers?

Of course, not all panic alarms are the same. Hotel brands of all sizes use Safepoint to protect their lone workers.

So what makes Safepoint different? Safepoint provides ‘smart’ panic alarms that can share live location and task information at the tap of a button, while our team management solutions and 24/7 emergency response service makes managing and protecting your staff even easier.

So how does Safepoint’s lone worker system work?

With Safepoint, when a hotel worker feels threatened, they can tap a button on their phone or panic alarm, and their supervisors will instantly be notified. In fact, supervisors can use the Safepoint Web Portal to keep track of their entire team, right from their web browser!

What’s more, hotel employers can opt into Safepoint’s 24/7 GuardianPlus alarm receiving center.

With GuardianPlus, workers are connected 24/7 to a team of expert responders who will handle their emergency and liaise with your team’s supervisors and, if necessary, the emergency services. That means you never have to worry about missing an alert!