In June 2019, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed the Hotel “Panic Button” law. The law intends to protect hotel employees from sexual assault and other dangerous working conditions.

What You Need to Know:

For hotels with 100+ rooms ONLY, employers must equip housekeeping and room service staff with panic devices they carry whenever they are assigned to work in a guest room without any other employees present. Additionally, If there is a need for an employee to use the device, the hotel/motel is required to keep a record of the accusations it receives and maintain the name of the accused guest on a list for five years from the date of the incident.

Enforcement Begins This Week:

The NJ Department of Labor contacted the New Jersey Restaurant & Hospitality Association (NJRHA) last week to inform them that the State plans to start strictly enforcing this law as early as this week. While there has been some enforcement since it was enacted, obvious issues stemming from the pandemic delayed full enforcement.

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