Panic buttons for hotel workers will be required at more Orange County hotels starting next year to better protect the employees from unruly guests as local leaders look to establish higher safety standards for hotel workers.
While Anaheim and Irvine already require panic buttons for maids and employees who often clean hotel rooms by themselves, hotels in Garden Grove will now also be required to provide the devices.
Hoteliers will be required to provide these personal safety devices for every hotel worker assigned to a guestroom on their own.
If an employee feels threatened by a guest,
If an employee feels threatened by a guest, they can press a button on the device that will notify on-site responders of the incident. Workers can also request to be reassigned away from that guest’s room afterwards.
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Should an incident occur, employees will also be given up to eight hours of paid time off to report the incident to law enforcement and to consult legal counsel.
Hotel employers will be mandated to train staff
Hotel employers will be mandated to train staff on how to use the devices, inform employees of their rights through training and posted notices and will be prohibited from retaliating against workers if they do exercise those rights.
Garden Grove City Council members approved the change unanimously during their meeting on Sept. 8 after an initial approval in late August. These new standards will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2027.
During the August meeting, Councilmember Ariana Arestegui questioned city staff about the written provisions for paid time off.
A previous version of the ordinance capped employees
A previous version of the ordinance capped employees at only three hours of paid time off to report incidents to law enforcement and to consult legal counsel.
The amendment passed by the city council increased that paid time off to eight hours.
“Interactions with law enforcement with any other follow-up care after an incident would be such that it would tie up more time,” Arestegui said.
Councilmember George Brietigam spoke in support of raising the maximum paid time off.
If the worst happens, it’s not even gonna
“If the worst happens, it’s not even gonna scratch the amount of time it’s gonna take you at the doctor, let alone reporting it to the PD,” Brietigam said.
Arestegui’s and Brietigam’s concerns were also shared by the hotel workers’ union known as Unite Here Local 11 — but representatives from the union say the final draft was substantially different from what was originally given to city officials.
According to Unite Here Local 11 Press Secretary Maria Hernandez, the city council had removed or changed several sections from a first version of the ordinance.
One of the sections in the previous draft
One of the sections in the previous draft would have provided workers with doubled pay if employers assign excess rooms during an employee’s shift.
Other omitted sections included panic button training for on-site responders and an increased daily penalty for hotels in violation of the ordinance.
“Let us be clear: if this council is serious about hotel worker safety, the answer isn’t a weaker ordinance rushed through tonight,” Unite Here Local 11 spokesman Matthew Richard said at the August meeting.
“The gap in this city-proposed law is significant.”
Union member Marco Alcala also claimed that during
Union member Marco Alcala also claimed that during the process of writing the ordinance, no representatives from the Garden Grove City Council reached out to Unite Here Local 11 to collaborate.
Alcala and Richard called on the city council to reject the legislation.
“Staff moved forward with the completed version without ever picking up the phone to ask workers a single question,” Alcala said. “That alone should give you pause about why this item is in front of you.”
While some Garden Grove hotels already provide panic buttons for workers, the city’s new standards make them a mandated requirement for all hotels in the city, which is also near the Anaheim Resort area.
According to Greg Blodgett, Deputy Director
According to Greg Blodgett, Deputy Director of the city’s Economic Development Department, the ordinance is even based on Anaheim’s own laws dedicated toward hotel staffers.
“We’re in the same market, and the same workplace. We want to be on a level field with Anaheim, so it’s similar to Anaheim’s ordinance,” Blodgett said during a presentation at the Aug. 25 meeting.
Cities such as Ontario and Irvine also served as inspiration for Garden Grove’s new ordinance.
Previously, Irvine passed a similar law in 2022
Previously, Irvine passed a similar law in 2022 that included similar protections, becoming the first Orange County city to enforce these standards.
Their ordinance also included a provision to double a worker’s pay if they’re given heavier workloads during their shift.
But in November 2024, Irvine city officials voted 3-2 to repeal the provisions for extra pay, with Councilmember Kathleen Treseder and former Councilmember Tammy Kim voting against the repeal. Councilmembers who voted to remove the increased pay requirements said it makes it more difficult for hoteliers to run their businesses.
The Collegiate News Service is a partnership between
The Collegiate News Service is a partnership between Voice of OC and local student journalists. Contact this story’s reporter by emailing caliboso@chapman.edu
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