New York Hotel Workers May Get New Protection From Assault

NEW YORK—Assemblyman Rory Lancman proposed new legislation on Sunday that would require hotels to supply their staff with an alert device in case of an emergency, such as assault.
New York Hotel Workers May Get New Protection From Assault
PANIC ALERT: Assemblyman Rory Lancman holds up a 'panic alert' device used in his office. Lancman is introducing legislation that would require New York hotels and motels to supply their staff members with such devices. (Catherine Yang/The Epoch Times)
Catherine Yang
5/22/2011
Updated:
10/1/2015
<a><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/09/lancmanhotel.jpg" alt="PANIC ALERT: Assemblyman Rory Lancman holds up a 'panic alert' device used in his office. Lancman is introducing legislation that would require New York hotels and motels to supply their staff members with such devices. (Catherine Yang/The Epoch Times)" title="PANIC ALERT: Assemblyman Rory Lancman holds up a 'panic alert' device used in his office. Lancman is introducing legislation that would require New York hotels and motels to supply their staff members with such devices. (Catherine Yang/The Epoch Times)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-1803757"/></a>
PANIC ALERT: Assemblyman Rory Lancman holds up a 'panic alert' device used in his office. Lancman is introducing legislation that would require New York hotels and motels to supply their staff members with such devices. (Catherine Yang/The Epoch Times)
NEW YORK—Assemblyman Rory Lancman proposed new legislation on Sunday that would require hotels to supply their staff with an alert device in case of an emergency, such as assault.

Under the Hotel Worker Protection Act, every hotel and motel in the state of New York would need to provide their employees who “regularly enter hotel or motel rooms” with panic-alert devices capable of notifying hotel security, either by setting off an alarm or sending a signal to a central system.

Lancman, chairman of the Assembly Subcommittee on Workplace Safety, says that in light of the recent incident involving IMF Chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn, people are becoming aware that assaults on and inappropriate conduct toward housekeepers are common.

“We can no longer send housekeepers into hotel rooms, isolated from other workers and hotel security, without giving them a means to immediately access help in the event of an assault,” Lancman said.

The devices are small and can be worn around a person’s wrist. Senior citizens or people who may need emergency health care commonly wear such devices, and Lancman says people use several of these devices in his own office. The devices range from alerting 911 to sending a signal to a central monitoring station.

“This simple device can protect housekeepers and hotel workers from being sexually assaulted on the job, from being improperly propositioned. The touch of a button will allow hotel workers and housekeepers to instantly alert security, to let them know there is an emergency and to get attention,” Lancman said.

He added that the costs to implement this measure should be nominal, as many companies already provide individuals and businesses with panic-alert systems, and hotels would be purchasing in bulk.

“How many times does it have to happen for it to be serious enough for us to take this very modest step to protect hotel workers?” Lancman asked.

The assemblyman is optimistic about the reaction his colleagues will have when he presents the bill on Monday, and unions have responded positively.

“Hotel workers, and housekeepers in particular, are no less deserving of protection than any other kind of worker,” Lancman said. “And the event of last week illustrates that hotel workers need that protection.”

“As we have seen, workers in hotels often face dangerous situations alone,” said Peter Ward, president of the New York Hotel & Motel Trades Council. “This reasonable proposal would ensure that thousands of hotel workers are not put at an unnecessary risk.”