Passed Hotel Panic Button Legislation by Cities
Chicago, Illinois
Date of Compliance
Effective on July 1, 2018
The Chicago Municipal Code4-6-180(e) Hotel Workers Sexual Harassment Ordinance became effect on July 1, 2018. The ordinance requires all hotels in Chicago to provide employees who are assigned to clean or to inventory, inspect or restock supplies in a guest room or restroom, where no other employee is present, with a panic button or notification device. The measure is designed to provide protection for more than 15,000 hospitality workers, most of which are women and minorities.
What are Chicago Panic Button Requirements?
Panic button devices must be portable, and easily carried and activated by the employee. When activated, devices must summon immediate assistance from hotel designated personnel. Panic buttons must not require continued activation by the employee to sustain the alert (e.g. simple whistles, walkie-talkies, mugger buttons or other non-GPS supported notification devices are not panic buttons within the meaning of Chicago’s Ordinance). Panic button devices must have GPS capabilities and be able to identify the precise location of the employee in real time.
Seattle, Washington
Date of Compliance
Effective on July 1, 2022
The Ordinance SMC 14.26, The Hotel Employees Safety Ordinance, became effective on July 1, 2022, and requires employers of a Seattle hotel or motel of 60 or more rooms or an ancillary hotel business of any size to take measures to prevent, address, and respond to guest conduct that is “violent or harassing,” which is defined as assault, harassment, non-consensual sexual contact, and indecent exposure. The measure includes equipping employees with panic button devices who are assigned to work in guest rooms or employees who make deliveries to guest rooms.
What are Seattle Panic Button Requirements?
- Panic button devices should be easily activated by a single action like a push, pull or tap. They must provide a sustained signal without delays caused by entering passwords or waiting for the system to turn on.
- When panic buttons are activated, the signal is effective for the circumstances (e.g., designated personnel will be able to detect it regardless of their location and distinguish it from other audible or visual alarms and noise from vacuum cleaners and other sources.)
- Panic button devices should be designed to summon immediate assistance and enable responders to accurately provide reliable locations down to room-level accuracy of where the distress signal originated.
- Devices should consistently work in all locations, on all shifts and the activation of one device should not obscure the activation of other devices.
- The device should minimize unintentional activation and resist possible disabling by attackers.
Glendale, CA
Date of Compliance
Effective July 27, 2022
The City of Glendale passed new measures to amend the “Hotel Worker Protection Ordinance,” hotel employers are required to protect employees from violent or threatening conduct and are required to provide them with a personal security device/panic button. In addition, employees must be provided with panic buttons and training on its use at no cost. Hotel employees are also guaranteed paid time off to report a serious incident or to attend counseling.
What are Glendale Panic Button Requirements?
Employees should be provided with a portable emergency contact device, including but not limited to a panic button. Devices must be designed to be quickly and easily activated by employee and must directly contact a hotel security officer, manager, or supervisory hotel staff member designated by a hotel employer to respond to violent or threatening conduct and promptly summon them to the hotel worker’s location.
Long Beach, CA
Date of Compliance
Effective date of November 13, 2018
Any hotel containing 50 or more guestrooms must become compliant no later than 6 months following the effective date of November 13, 2018. All other hotels containing less than 50 guest rooms are required to become compliant no later than 1 year following the effective date of November 13, 2018.
Hotels must provide employees who work in guest rooms with panic buttons to report threatening behavior by hotel guests and other emergencies. Hotels are required to post a notice on doors of each guestroom, that displays the heading “The Law Protects Hotel Housekeepers and Hotel Employees From Threatening Behavior,” and a notice that the hotel is providing panic buttons to specific employees.
What are Long Beach Panic Button Requirements?
An emergency electronic contact device that can be carried by employees that allows them to summon immediate on-scene assistance from a security guard or a designated hotel personnel.
Los Angeles, CA
Date of Compliance
Effective on August 12, 2022
Los Angeles’s Hotel Worker Protection Ordinance became effective on August 12, 2022 and require hotels to provide panic button devices to hotel employees who work in guestrooms or employees who work alone in restrooms. Hotels with more than 60 guestrooms are required to assign a dedicated security personnel to receive and immediately respond to panic button alerts. Hotels with less than 60 guestrooms may assign a supervisor or a manager to respond to panic button alerts.
Hotels required to post signs on the inside of guestroom doors notifying guests that panic buttons are in use by hotel employees. Mandatory annual training is also required on the use and maintenance of panic button devices and the proper protocols to respond to panic button alerts.
Hotels with less than 60 guestrooms require a minimum of three hours of training regarding the use and maintenance of panic button devices. The ordinance also limits the workload for guestroom attendants, by basing workload on the square feet of floor space within an eight-hour workday. Hotels must also receive written consent from employees who wish to work more than 10 hours within a workday.
What are Los Angeles hotel panic button requirements?
Los Angeles hotels require that hotel panic button devices be portable, devices must provide the precise location of the employee in distress and must alert the designated security personnel or manager who will provide immediate assistance.
Oakland, CA
Date of Compliance
Became Effective on July 1, 2022.
Hotels with 50 or more guestrooms must provide panic buttons to all hotel employees assigned to work in a guestroom or bathroom without other employees present. Hotels are also prohibited from taking disciplinary actions against employees for the use of panic buttons, unless it is “clear and convincing” that employees knowingly made a false report of an emergency. Hotels are also required to post a notice on doors of each guest room, that displays the heading “The Law Protects Hotel Housekeepers and Hotel Employees From Threatening Behavior,” and a notice that the hotel is providing panic buttons to its specific employees.
What are Oakland Panic Button Requirements?
A portable emergency contact device, including but not limited to a panic button that is designed so that a hotel worker can quickly and easily activate such device to summon prompt assistance by a hotel security officer, manager, or supervisory hotel staff member to the hotel worker’s location.
Sacramento, CA
Date of Compliance
Effective on March 29, 2018
The ordinance became effective on March 29, 2018. The county will provide a 60-day grace period for businesses to comply with the ordinance after it takes effect. This bill applies to hotels and motels with 25 or more rooms that are located in the unincorporated area of Sacramento County. It requires every hotel owner to provide each employee with a panic button or notification device.
Hotels are also required to develop, maintain, and comply with a written sexual harassment policy to protect employees against sexual assault and sexual harassment by guests. The policy must describe the procedures the complaining employee and hotel shall follow in instances of alleged sexual assault or sexual harassment by guests.
What are Sacramento Panic Button Requirements?
A portable emergency contact device, including but not limited to a panic button that is designed so that a hotel worker can quickly and easily activate such device to summon prompt assistance by a hotel security officer, manager, or supervisory hotel staff member to the hotel worker’s location.
Santa Monica, CA
Date of Compliance
Effective on January 1, 2020.
Hotels must provide employees assigned to work in guestrooms or rest rooms where no other employee is present with safety devices to prevent sexual violence or threatening behavior. Safety device shall be provided at no cost to the hotel employees and employees should have the ability to report criminal and threatening behavior without fear of retaliation. The ordinance also requires hotels to use a certified Public Housekeeping Training Organization, in order to provide regular training for employees.
What are Santa Monica’s Panic Button Requirements?
A portable emergency contact device, including but not limited to a panic button that is designed so that a hotel worker can quickly and easily activate such device to summon prompt assistance by a hotel security officer, manager, or supervisory hotel staff member to the hotel worker’s location..
West Hollywood, CA
Date of Compliance
Effective on January 1, 2022
The Chapter 5.128 Hotel Worker Protection Ordinance became effective on January 1, 2022. Hotel employers must provide a personal security device to each hotel worker assigned to work alone in a guest room or restrooms. The personal security device should be provided at no cost to the hotel employee. Employees may activate a personal security device should they reasonably believe that a violent or threatening conduct or an emergency is occurring in their presence. Immediately prior to or upon activating the device, the employee may stop working and leave the immediate area of danger to await assistance.
No hotel employee shall be subjected to an adverse employment action for activating a personal security device or for stopping work to await assistance, absent clear and convincing evidence that the employee knowingly and intentionally made a false claim of emergency. Hotel employers must assign a security guard, manager, or supervisory hotel staff member to provide immediate assistance in the event that a personal security device is activated.
What are West Hollywood panic button requirements?
A portable emergency contact device, including but not limited to a panic button that is designed so that a hotel worker can quickly and easily activate such device to summon to the hotel worker’s location prompt assistance by a hotel security officer, manager, or supervisory hotel staff member designated by a hotel employer.
Miami Beach, Florida
Date of Compliance
The deadline for compliance was August 1st, 2019.
Hotels are required to provide panic buttons or notification devices to each hotel or hostel employee. Hotels are also required to post signs in guest rooms that a safety device has been given to hotel employees. Non-compliance will result in a written warning for the first offense, a 2nd violation will result in a civil fine of $500, 3rd violation will result in a civil fine of $1,000 and the 4th and subsequent violation in the preceding six months will result in a civil fine of $2,000.
What are Miami Beach Panic Button Requirements?
A portable emergency contact device that can be quickly and easily activated by employee and such button or device must effectively summon immediate assistance to the employee’s location by a hotel or hostel security officer, manager or other designated hotel or hostel employee.
