Las Vegas Hotel Panic Button Union Initiative

Many cities and states have passed hotel panic button laws in an effort to ensure the safety of hotel employees, in 2018 the Las Vegas chapters of UNITE HERE’s Culinary and Bartender Unions negotiated contracts with local hotels in an effort to equip hotel and casino employees with panic buttons.

A survey conducted by UNITE HERE’s Culinary and Bartender Unions of over 10,000 Las Vegas casino workers discovered the following:

59% of cocktail servers and 27% of hotel housekeepers said they had been sexually harassed by guests, managers or others while on the job.

72% of cocktail servers and 53% of hotel housekeepers said a guest had done something to make them feel uncomfortable or unsafe.

As a results of the survey and worker concerns, the Culinary and Bartenders Unions took steps to propose stronger safety protections in contract negotiations in 2018 for 50,000 workers in 34 casino resorts on the Las Vegas Strip and in Downtown Las Vegas.

Panic Buttons – What to look for:

Brand Approved:

Marriott International Hotels

Marriott International, plans to provide employees in the U.S. and Canada with safety devices/panic buttons, with the goal to fully install and integrate by 2020.

 

Hilton

Hilton has already implemented employee safety devices at numerous hotel locations and plan to deploy devices for all employees working in guestrooms at Hilton-managed properties in the U.S. by 2020.  In addition, Hilton plans to include anti-harassment and anti-trafficking policies and training at all their properties.

 

Hyatt

Hyatt became one of the first hotel brands to issue safety devices to employee who work in guestrooms.  This is a brand standard for Hyatt-managed full-service hotels in the U.S., and more than half of full-service franchise Hyatt hotels will implement safety devices to staff.

 

IHG

IHG has deployed safety devices to employees at numerous hotel locations within the U.S. and plan to fully implement safety devices at their managed hotels in the U.S. by 2020.  As well as mandatory and enhanced workplace training for corporate and hotel employees in the U.S.

 

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts plan to deploy employee safety devices to all employees in the U.S. who are assigned to work alone in guestrooms.  These devices will be provided to the employee at no cost.  Wyndham also plans to roll out mandatory, annual anti-sexual harassment, discrimination, and human trafficking training for all employees.

 

AccorHotels

Accor plans to equip employees who enter guestrooms and restrooms unaccompanied with safety devices by 2020.  Accor also has a strict policy against sexual harassment and will also provide mandatory trainings to employees.

 

Best Western Hotels

Best Western branded hotels in the U.S. are required by the end of 2020 to provide employees with safety devices, at no cost to hotel employees who are assigned to work alone in hotel guestrooms or hotel areas.  In addition, employees will be provided with training to identify and report sexual harassment.

 

Radisson Hotel Group

Radisson will deploy employee safety devices for hotel employees who work alone in guestrooms by 2020. Mandatory anti-sexual harassment policies and trainings will be provided to all employees.