In November 2022, the City of Irvine was the first city in Orange County to pass a Hotel Worker Protection Ordinance. The ordinance generally took effect on December 22, 2022. However, the fair compensation for workload section of the ordinance takes effect on May 21, 2023.

Under that section of the ordinance, hotel employers are required to limit workloads for room attendants based on square footage. The ordinance also imposes a maximum room cleaning quota, dependent on the size of the hotel. Moreover, there are limits on the number of hours employees can work without written consent from the employee.  

There is now an initiative for a similar ordinance in the city of Anaheim. The organization pushing for the ordinance has collected sufficient signatures to require the city council to either adopt the ordinance, ask for a fiscal report, or send it to the city voters for consideration in 2024. Like the Irvine ordinance, the proposed Anaheim ordinance would require hotels and event centers to:

• Provide panic buttons with a security guard on call for employees.

• Place certain limitations on workload and hours for employees.

• Set a $25.00 minimum wage for hotel housekeepers and other hotel workers with an annual increase.

• Provide protections ensuring workers are retained when new owners or operators take over a business.

The Anaheim City Council is scheduled to consider the ordinance on May 16, 2023, though the agenda for that meeting has not yet been released.