Major hotels giving panic buttons to national staff | Work and money

Tens of thousands of employees from more than 18,000 US hotels will soon be wearing panic buttons to protect them from harassment and aggression at a time of heightened awareness of the #MeToo movement.

More than a dozen major hotel chains – including Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, IHG and Wyndham – announced Tuesday that they would provide personal safety features to all employees who deal individually with customers. by 2020. Companies will also train staff to identify and report harassment and publish anti-sexual harassment policies in multiple languages.

The devices vary by hotel. In a new Wi-Fi enabled hotel, for example, companies can distribute devices that automatically send the employee's location to security managers. In an older or smaller hotel, they can distribute devices that emit a loud cry.

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The American Hotel and Lodging Association, which supports the effort, says that nearly three-quarters of its 25,000 member hotels are currently participating. She works with organizations of harassment and human trafficking to develop training and testing devices to help hotels determine what works best.

This is not the first time hotels have been giving panic buttons to staff. New York has needed the devices since 2012, after a maid accused the French politician Dominique Strauss-Kahn of having sexually assaulted her following. Chicago and Seattle started demanding them more recently.

But the growing public debate on harassment and the #MeToo movement has given the effort a new sense of urgency. Red Roof Inn, Best Western, AccorHotels, Four Seasons and Caesar are other players in the rare manifestation of unity in an extremely competitive industry.

"The cultural conversations have changed and we have gained intelligence," said Erika Alexander, Americas hosting manager at Marriott. Marriott plans to upgrade its standard devices to some 5,000 North American hotels by 2020. Ultimately, it expects to expand its handsets globally.

Rani Accettola, a housekeeper at the Embassy Suites by Hilton hotel in Seattle, on Pioneer Place, still has a purse attached to her uniform. If it presses a button, hotel officials and security are immediately informed of its location. Accettola said the system gives her a sense of extra security, especially when she works late.

"At any time, help is available if you need it," she said.

The frequency of use of the devices is not clear, but the harassment of hotel staff is a recurring problem. In a 2016 survey of 500 housekeepers in Chicago, 49% said the guests flashed, exposed or opened the door.

The deployment of the devices will be complicated. Hotel companies only manage some of their properties; others are managed by franchisees. Some companies may require franchisees to add the devices; others may not. The properties vary enormously, ranging from 2,500-room complexes to 65-room hotels located close to the highway.

Some hotels have already started the process. Last fall, Hyatt ordered electronic security devices and has already distributed them to 4,500 employees in 120 hotels across the Americas, said Hyatt CEO Mark Hoplamazian. Hyatt has also strongly recommended devices for franchisees and plans to expand the program globally, Hoplamazian said.

He said that the cost of the devices is easily absorbed by the company. The screaming alarms – the most used at Hyatt today – cost about $ 25 each. A React mobile device, like the one that Accettola carries, sells for $ 70, but major hotel chains will likely get bulk discounts.

Hoplamazian said there were not many uses reported. In one case, a guest was acting strangely so a housekeeper called for help. It turned out that there was no threat, but Hoplamazian is happy that the system is working.

"Although the frequency is not high, its importance is very important," he said.

Wyndham CEO Geoff Ballotti said his company plans to distribute security features by the end of next year to 5,000 employees in the 450 US hotels that she owns and operates. manages. Hilton CEO, Chris Nassetta Tens of thousands of staff from 4,500 hotels will be getting appliances by 2020.

Nassetta Deployment will take time, as staff training on how to respond to devices is as important as the devices themselves.

"We do not want to create the appearance of security without the reality behind it," he said.