Santa Monica Passes Hotel Worker Protection Ordinance

SANTA MONICA, CA — The Santa Monica City Council passed an ordinance to strengthen workplace safety and compensation protections for the city's 2,100 hotel housekeepers, the City of Santa Monica announced Wednesday.

The ordinance was recommended by Santa Monica’s Commission on the Status of Women in a letter to Council in September 2018, the City of Santa Monica press release said.

"Everyone deserves to come to work feeling safe and protected, and this ordinance provides that assurance," said Santa Monica Mayor Gleam Davis. We are investing in the well-being of hotel housekeepers, who are a fundamental contributor to Santa Monica’s strong tourism industry that supports our schools, parks, and municipal operations with over $60 million in tax revenues annually."

According to the City of Santa Monica, the ordinance:

1. "Provides hotel housekeepers with safety protections to prevent against sexual violence or other threatening behavior. This is provided through mandatory personal security devices and hotel workers’ ability to report criminal and threatening behavior without fear of retaliation."
2. "Establishes daily workload maximums of 4,000 square feet for hotels with less than 40 guest rooms, and 3,500 square feet for hotels with greater than 40 guest rooms, and requires a double overtime compensation rate for all hours worked in a workday when a housekeeper’s workload exceeds these maximums."
3. "Requires training on personal rights and safety, and education to protect public health and prevent instances of human trafficking, domestic violence, and sexual violence. The City will select and certify a Public Housekeeping Training Organization, which hotels will be required to use to provide regular trainings for their workers."
4. "Calls for hotel worker retention for a 90-day transition period in instances of a change in hotel ownership."

The ordinance was adopted after months of research and engaging with local stakeholders including the Commission on the Status of Women’s ad-hoc committee, UNITE HERE Local 11, Santa Monica lodging businesses, Santa Monica Travel and Tourism, Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce, the Hotel Association of Los Angeles, and the California Hotel and Lodging Association, the press release said. City staff also consulted with cities such as Long Beach, Oakland and Seattle, to learn about their experiences in implementing and enforcing similar ordinances.

The ordinance will be enforced through a civil enforcement model, and will take effect on a rolling basis by provision: the worker retention provision becomes effective upon the effective date of the ordinance in October, the safety protections and workload/overtime provisions take effect on January 1, 2020, and training will be required by January 1, 2021, the City said.