The hospitality industry has its fair share of visitors, with guests and employees in the building 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Compared to other sectors, hospitality employees can be more vulnerable than other team members working in different industries. In hotels, for instance, housekeepers primarily work alone, putting them at risk for sexual harassment and other acts of aggression. The number of transient guests only exacerbates this problem, as people feel less accountable for their actions when they are away from home.
These circumstances make workplace safety necessary for staff and management in all hospitality venues. Cultivating a culture of workplace safety is vital for employees and critical for proper business operations. There are simple ways to establish an organizational process with staff and keep clients’ best interests in mind.
Making the Financial Case
Employers in the United States pay for direct workers’ compensation costs. That doesn’t include the premiums they are already paying based on the relative risks associated with their industry.
Workers’ compensation costs pay a lot per week in the United States, which doesn’t include the premiums they are already paying based on the relative risks associated with the industry. Improving safety training and record-keeping is a great way to reduce workers’ compensation costs. Fewer claims mean lower direct and indirect costs and a history of reducing risk goes a long way toward lowering premiums. Given today’s labor shortage, it’s more important than ever to reduce the cost of employee turnover as well.
Workplace Safety in the Hospitality Industry
Enforcing workplace safety in the hospitality industry can span across various departments within an organization. A shared culture within the company will ensure that all employees and management are aware of and know precisely what workplace safety entails. Any deviation can cause disruptions in emergency processes, questionable practices, and errors in judgment in times of crisis.
Proper safety culture will keep staff members knowledgeable about the company’s approach to a safe working environment, including how the organization perceives risk, navigates responses to risky situations, and maintains an ethical culture of workplace safety.