The Sacramento County (the county) Hotel Worker Protection Act (HWPA) requires a covered hotel operator to provide employees assigned to work in a guest room or restroom with a panic button or notification device which employees can use to call for help if they reasonably believe sexual harassment is occurring in their presence. The HWPA also requires that a covered employer develop and distribute a written sexual harassment prevention policy to its employees.
For more information on the HWPA, you may visit the county's website or contact the county assistant planner at (916) 875-3035 or foxde@saccounty.net.
Under the HWPA, a covered "hotel licensee" is any hotel or motel with 25 or more guest rooms located within the unincorporated area of the county. 1
An "employee" under the HWPA is any natural person who works full or part time at a hotel for wages, salary or remuneration of any type. 2
A hotel licensee must provide a portable "panic button" or "notification device" at no cost to each hotel employee assigned to work in a guest room or restroom. 3 The panic button must be a device that an employee can quickly and easily activate to summon prompt assistance from hotel staff, such as a security officer or manager, who can provide immediate aid. 4
"Guest room" means any room made available for overnight occupancy by guests. 5
The HWPA requires hotel licensees to develop, maintain and comply with a written sexual harassment prevention policy to protect employees against sexual assault and sexual harassment by guests. This policy should encourage employees to immediately report instances of alleged sexual assault and sexual harassment by guests and describe the procedures that the complaining employee and hotel licensee must follow in such cases. 6 Additionally, hotel licensees must provide all employees with a current copy of the sexual harassment prevention policy in both English and Spanish, and post the policy in conspicuous areas of the hotel, such as an employee break room, where employees can reasonably be expected to see it. 7
Separately, state law mandates that employers develop and distribute a written harassment, discrimination and retaliation prevention policy to employees.
1. Sacramento County Code, sec. 4.75.002; Sacramento County Hotel Worker Protection Act of 2018 Frequently Asked Questions, No. 3
2. Sacramento County Code, sec. 4.75.002
3. Sacramento County Code, sec. 4.75.003
4. Sacramento County Code, sec. 4.75.002
5. Sacramento County Code, sec. 4.75.002
6. Sacramento County Code, sec. 4.75.004(A)
7. Sacramento County Code, sec. 4.75.004(B)