Hotel Worker Protection Ordinance
Hotel Worker Protection Ordinance
Hotel Worker Safety Protections
As of April 1, 2026, hotel employers in unincorporated LA County must provide workers with personal safety devices and paid time to report violent or threatening behavior to law enforcement.
Hotel employers must provide workers with a Personal Safety Device – a portable emergency device commonly known as a “Panic Button” – connected to the hotel’s security officer, manager, or supervisory staff member which can be quicky and easily activated to call help to the hotel worker’s location.
Hotel workers must also receive paid time to report violence or threatening behavior to law enforcement. Hotel employers may not stop or discourage an employee from reporting. Hotel employers cannot take any employment action against a hotel worker if they choose not to report the violent or threatening conduct to law enforcement.
Limits to Cleaning Workloads
As of April 1, 2026, the Hotel Worker Protection Ordinance (HWPO) limits the maximum square footage a hotel worker can be required to clean in one eight-hour shift.
In hotels with fewer than 40 guest rooms, workers cannot be required to clean rooms totaling more than 4,500 square feet in any eight (8) hour workday at the worker’s regular rate of pay
If a worker cleans more than 4,500 square feet in one eight-hour shift, the hotel employer must pay the worker twice their regular rate of pay for each and every hour worked that workday.
In hotels with 40 or more guest rooms, workers cannot be required to clean rooms totaling more than 3,500 square feet in any eight (8) hour workday at the worker’s regular rate of pay
If a worker cleans more than 3,500 square feet in one eight-hour shift, the hotel employer must pay the worker twice their regular rate of pay for each and every hour worked that workday.
If a worker is assigned to clean 7 or more checkout rooms during an 8-hour workday, each room must count as 500 square feet, regardless of the actual square footage of the rooms.
This applies to any combination of spaces, including guest rooms, meeting rooms, and other rooms within the hotel, regardless of furniture, equipment, or amenities in each room.
Public Housekeeping Training Requirements
As of October 1, 2026, hotel employers in unincorporated LA County are required to provide their employees with at least six hours of Public Housekeeping Training informing hotel workers of their rights, responsibilities and protections.
To provide this training, organizations may apply for certification as a Public Housekeeping Training Organization.
To be eligible, organizations must have experience training hotel or low-wage immigrant workers and be able to deliver at least six hours of live, interactive instruction covering workers’ rights.
File a Complaint
Click the button on the right to file a complaint if you know a hotel employer that does not provide:
- Personal Safety Devices
- Limits to cleaning workloads or doubled pay for exceeding those limits
- Paid time to report violence or threatening behavior
- At least 6 hours of Public Housekeeping Training
Our services are free. We do not ask or report your immigration status.
Hotel Worker Protection Ordinance Employer Waiver
Pursuant to County Code Section 8.21.070, DCBA is authorized to grant a waiver from the requirements of the Hotel Worker Protection Ordinance (HWPO) for Hotel Employers able to demonstrate that compliance with the HWPO would require the Hotel Employer, in order to avoid bankruptcy or a shutdown of the Hotel Employer’s hotel, to reduce its workforce by more than 20 percent or curtail its Hotel Workers’ total hours by more than 30 percent. Learn more about the HWPO Waiver Application here.
Prior to submitting a waiver application, Hotel Employers must provide written notice of the waiver application to all Hotel Workers employed by the Hotel Employer. Within three days of receiving a waiver determination from DCBA, Hotel Employers must provide written notice of the determination to all Hotel Workers employed by the Hotel Employer.
