Protecting Hotel Worker: Panic Button & App

Hotel employees are protected with combination app – panic button

In May 2011, there was a report of rape against former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn (DSK). At the Sofitel hotel in New York, a chambermaid indicated that she had been raped by him. Two weeks later, there was a similar incident at The Pierre hotel in Manhattan. Both the Sofitel and The Pierre decided in June 2011 that they would provide the “housekeeping staff” with devices inspired by alarm buttons for seniors (see CNN artikel).

In the years that followed, more and more hotels started protecting their employees with a panic button against violence or sexual intimidation.

The panic button is an easy uncomplicated solution. It can be used if the employee has the feeling of insecurity or worse, that (sexual) violence is taking place. If the panic button is pressed, people are immediately warned.

Is a panic button for hotel employees mandatory in the US?

The first obligation to provide employees with a panic button was at unionized hotels in New York. Housekeeping employees have been carrying a panic button since 2013.

A large number of other states followed. Sometimes a panic button was only required if there are more than a certain number of rooms and the requirement is often only made for those employees who enter the hotel rooms. In addition to the panic button, it is sometimes also specified that a security guard must be present in the hotel.

Is a panic button for hotel staff mandatory in the Netherlands?

In the Netherlands there is no obligation to carry a panic button. The question is to what extent it is necessary to impose an explicit obligation. After all, in the end it is about the employer offering the employees a safe working environment. This is laid down in the Working Conditions Act “Arbowet“.

Who carries a panic button in hotels in the Netherlands?

The panic button is used by various employees in hotel in the Netherlands. The usage varies from the hotel clerk, the night watchman, the security guard, the maid to the cleaner.

How is the panic button worn?

The alarm or emergency button is often carried by employees in or on a pocket (of a shirt, trousers, skirt, or uniform). In certain positions, panic buttons are clearly visible, worn either on a neck lanyard or as a wristband resembling a watch. At the reception desk, the emergency button is often placed in a fixed position.

Which persons are alerted?

Wearing a panic button is of course not enough. In the end, what matters is what happens after a person pushes the button, for example who will be alerted? This can be either be colleagues who work nearby or a private emergency center.

Ask for panic button selection for hotel.

There are several providers of panic buttons. Some buttons look like two drops of water to our solution. The most substantial difference lies in the quality of the system behind the button. What questions can you ask before selecting a panic button for hotel employees?

How many people can be warned?
How soon will people be alerted after the panic button is pressed?
Is it possible to warn people present?
What if no one is “available”/ “answering”
Is it possible to warn a Private Alarm Center?
Can a listening connection be set up?
Can a talk-listen connection be set up?
Should there be a WiFi or telephone network available?
Does it work even when no network is available?
Is it possible to determine the exact location of the person who pressed the panic button?
In addition to the panic button, are there other functionalities (e.g. “non-movement” detection, interval control, fall alarm, etc.)
Is it possible to see who has acted upon the alarm?
Is it possible to see who has / has not activated the panic button?