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Many jurisdictions around the country are beginning to implement laws aimed at protecting staff from sexual assaults by any guest that would seek to do harm. Although these laws are found mostly at the local level of governments, a couple of states do stand out as having taken action: Illinois and New Jersey.
Illinois and New Jersey
The state of Illinois has drafted a law entitled, “The Hotel and Casino Employee Safety Act,” which requires all hotels within the state to provide portable safety devices to employees who work independently from other staff, per 820 ILCS 325/5-10(a). These safety devices, commonly known as “panic buttons,” allow an employee to call for help simply by pressing a button. These buttons greatly benefit housekeepers, maintenance technicians, and other employees who do not typically work with other staff. Due to the effects of COVID-19, Illinois has delayed the effective date of the law to March 1, 2021. This law applies to all hotels located in Illinois, regardless of their size, number of guest rooms, etc.
Similarly, New Jersey Revised Statute § 29: 4-9 protects hotel housekeepers and other employees from the threat of assault or harassment, and through the use of safety devices, this objective can be achieved. The provision of a free safety device for housekeepers is mandatory for hotels that have 100 rooms or more. NJ Rev Stat § 29:4-10. As these laws intend the same result (to prevent physical harm) the only significant difference is in the respective language of the law.
The Local Level: Is Signage Required?
At the local level, we find more jurisdictions—including Seattle, Miami Beach, and multiple cities within California—have taken decisive action in this regard. Each one of these cities not only mandate safety devices for hotel employees but signage, as well. Depending on the jurisdiction, the number of guest rooms will dictate whether your hotel is required to post signage.
By posting signs, you are informing guests that criminal behavior will not be tolerated and employees have the means to immediately call for assistance. As a result, the protection signage serves as an easy step to thwart criminal activity.
These employees here are primarily housekeepers and others who work alone, similar to the Illinois and New Jersey state laws. While only a few cities have been listed in this blog post, hoteliers can depend on the momentum building over time towards many more cities and states drafting laws that mandate safety devices and accompanying informational signage. Although some jurisdictions may have established thresholds for mandating informational signage, it may be a good business decision to weight the benefits of having it within your hotel.
Here at HOTELSIGNS.com, we suggest implementing safety devices and signage sooner rather than later. These two things are an easy way to exhibit concern and appreciation for your hard-working employees, and also help boost employee retention.
Need Informational Signage? You’re At The Right Place!
If you need informational signage for your hotel, HOTELSIGNS.com is ready to help. For residents of Miami Beach, FL and Oakland, CA, we currently offer the following two self adhesive housekeeper protection notices:
We are always adding new signs to our website, but it is also easy to create your own advisory informational sign at HOTELSIGNS.com. Choose from one of our general information sign styles, select a color, add your own text, preview to see how great it looks, and add to your cart. (Make sure you to double-check to ensure your signs are free from any typos or misspellings) Once you’ve supplied your credit card information, your signs will be hand-crafted by our marvelous sign artisans. Please note that information signs are not required to have braille per ADA guidelines.
As always, our team at HOTELSIGNS.com is equipped to address your regulatory and signage needs. Each of our signs is covered by unparalleled guarantees, including Life of the Building and ADA Compliance. Bookmark our blog for more helpful articles and information!