Author Archives: Ida

by | October 17, 2013 · 6:08 am

Hospitality Industry Safety Solutions: Texas Hotel “Fire Safety Audit” Results In Installation Of $100,000 “State-Of-The-Art Alarm System”, Self-Closing Doors & Removal Of Combustible Items

“…There will be a brand new, state-of-the-art fire alarm system installed by the end of the year and will Hotel Fire Safetycost $99,950…the lack of self-closing devices installed in the doors may lead to a potential fire to jump to the other building, the audit noted…One of the problems that State Fire Marshal Chris Connealy reported was that there was a large quantity of combustible items stored in the unfinished basement area of the hotel (which) may overwhelm a fire sprinkler system if a fire occurs placing occupant safety and structural stability at risk…”

The Sam Houston State University Hotel has fixed several fire hazards and are in the process of tending to the rest after they were discovered in a State Fire Marshal audit in February, according to Steve Shields, Director of Environmental Health, Safety, and Risk Management.

The University Hotel had nine fire safety problems that needed to be addressed, according to physical plant. Five of them have been fixed and the last two have been scheduled and funded. One problem that has yet to be fixed is the fire alarm system. According to the report, the fire alarm system in the hotel is inadequate and does not have the required detection devices and alarm placement.

The current alarm can’t be heard in all of the rooms, and there is no visual notification devices for the hearing impaired in the public areas. Also, the sprinkler system will not activate the building fire alarm upon activation.

For more:  http://www.houstonianonline.com/news/shsu-university-hotel-making-adjustments-after-alarming-fire-report-1.2841696#.Ul_mvknn-M8

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by | October 16, 2013 · 8:25 am

P3 Hospitality Industry Risk Report: “Sales/Group Contracts” By Todd Seiders, Director Of Risk Management For Petra Risk Solutions (Video)

[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/52041658 w=500&h=281]

Petra Risk Solutions’ Director of Risk Management, Todd Seiders, offers a P3 Hospitality Risk Report – ‘Sales/Group Contracts’. 

P3 ( Petra Plus Process) is the Risk Management Division of Petra Risk Solutions – America ’s largest independent insurance brokerage devoted exclusively to the hospitality marketplace.

For more information on Petra and P3 visit petrarisksolutions.com or call 800.466.8951.

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by | October 15, 2013 · 5:40 am

Hospitality Industry Risk Management: “P3 Risk Report – Knox Boxes” By Petra Risk Solutions’ Director Of Risk Management Todd Seiders (Video)

[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/52470586 w=500&h=281]

P3Petra Risk Solutions’ Director of Risk Management, Todd Seiders , offers a P3 Hospitality Risk Report – ‘Knox Boxes’. 

P3 ( Petra Plus Process) is the Risk Management Division of Petra Risk Solutions – America ’s largest independent insurance brokerage devoted exclusively to the hospitality marketplace.

 For more information on Petra and P3 visit petrarisksolutions.com or call 800.466.8951.

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Filed under Crime, Guest Issues, Injuries, Insurance, Liability, Management And Ownership, Risk Management

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Hospitality Industry Technology Trends: More Restaurants Are Installing “Electronic Payment Systems” As Many Consumers Prefer Self-Service Terminals, Use Smartphone Apps, And Visit Websites For Information

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by | October 14, 2013 · 9:46 am
by | October 13, 2013 · 6:27 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Risks: IRS Rules That “Automatic Gratuities” Are Now “Service Charges”; Restaurants Must Add To Paychecks As Wages

“…The IRS has signaled its intent to scrutinize auto-gratuity patterns to determine whether they are tips, or if there has been more coercion so it Restaurant Tips And Service Chargesbecomes more of a service charge…rather than receiving automatic gratuities at the end of the night, under the new IRS rule, those payments would be tacked onto paychecks as wages…Darden Restaurants – which operates Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Longhorn Steakhouse Seasons 52, The Capital Grille and other chains – is testing a concept that eliminates 18 percent automatic gratuities for parties of eight or more, and instead leaves tip percentage calculations at the end of a bill…”

Even with automatic tipping, customers have always faced a decision over how much to leave a server. Now, thanks to an IRS ruling, restaurants are being thrown into the debate – and are faced with a decision of their own: Should tipping for large parties be left to the customer or should the restaurant tack it on to the bill?

The IRS ruling, which takes effect in January, will treat automatic gratuities as service charges, rather than tips. The switch means servers will no longer be responsible for reporting those automatic tips as income. And it also means automatic gratuities will be considered a part of a server’s wages, making that money subject to payroll tax withholding and delaying receipt until the next paycheck.

Understandably, many servers aren’t happy about the tax policy, but neither are restaurant owners. The change will create additional accounting and bookkeeping work, because automatic gratuities will have to be factored into hourly pay rates that could vary depending on the number of large parties served by the employee.

The IRS policy change also could mean the loss of an income tax credit, which restaurants receive for paying Medicare and Social Security taxes on employees’ reported tips. Service charges are not eligible for the credit.

For more:  http://www.news10.net/news/national/260375/5/Tip-ruling-could-prove-taxing-to-servers-restaurants

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Filed under Employment Practices Liability, Labor Issues, Liability, Management And Ownership, Risk Management

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by | October 12, 2013 · 6:00 am

P3 Hospitality Industry Risk Report: “Hotel Cold Weather Checklist” Presented By Risk Manager Joe Fisco Of Petra Risk Solutions (Video)

[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/52051376 w=500&h=281]

P3Petra Risk Solutions’ Risk Manager, Joe Fisco, offers a P3 Hospitality Risk Report – ‘Hotel Cold Weather Checklist’. 

P3 ( Petra Plus Process) is the Risk Management Division of Petra Risk Solutions – America ’s largest independent insurance brokerage devoted exclusively to the hospitality marketplace.

 For more information on Petra and P3 visit petrarisksolutions.com or call 800.466.8951.

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by | October 11, 2013 · 5:27 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Risks: Connecticut Hotel Owners Settle “Negligence Lawsuit” For $1 Million; Woman Tripped Over “Bunched, Wrinkled Carpet” Which Required “Elbow Replacement Surgeries”

“…(the plaintiff) was walking from the restaurant to the front lobby when she tripped on a bunched and wrinkled carpet, catching her toe on it Hospitality Industry Injury Lawsuitsand landing on her elbow…(she) had five surgeries, and when the elbow would not heal right, underwent a total elbow replacement…her medical bills totaled $240,000, which will be repaid with proceeds from the settlement, he said…as early as 2009, Holiday Inn, which was threatnening to pull the hotel’s license because of various maintenance issues, had inspected the hotel and reported that the carpet in the restaurant was loose…(attorneys) discovered that members of the hotel staff had tripped on the rug and complained to the management…”

The owners of the former Holiday Inn on North Frontage Road agreed this week to pay $1 million to a 77-year-old St. Louis woman who fractured her elbow after tripping over a loose carpet and falling as she exited the hotel’s restaurant. Heritage New London LLC, the corporation that owns the property and managed the hotel agreed to the settlement after five days of jury selection in New London Superior Court.

Norma Minke was part of a visiting tour group that stayed at the hotel on October 3, 2010, according to her attorney, Joseph M. Barnes of the Reardon Law Firm.

During the discovery process, Barnes said he deposed the corporation owner, Sunil Nayak of Princeton, NJ. Barnes said he learned that as early as 2009, Holiday Inn, which was threatnening to pull the hotel’s license because of various maintenance issues, had inspected the hotel and reported that the carpet in the restaurant was loose. The report specifically identified the location of the incident, Barnes said. He also discovered that members of the hotel staff had tripped on the rug and complained to the management.

For more:  http://www.theday.com/article/20131010/NWS02/131019970/1047

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by | October 10, 2013 · 6:20 am

Hospitality Industry Employment Risks: California Restaurant Found Liable For Over $480,000 In Penalties, Unpaid Wages By EDD; Failed To Pay Minimum Wage, “Split-Shift” Premium

“…(the restaurant) owners are individually and jointly responsible for $108,200 in civil penalties, as well as $373,613 owed to their workers in unpaid minimum wages, overtime pay, rest period, and split-shift premiums…Workers were not paid the state-mandated minimum wage for California Employment Development Departmenthours worked or the one-and-a-half regular rate of pay for overtime hours. Rather, the owners paid in cash: $45 per day for servers and between $75 and $120 for kitchen staff…”

“…The pay rate was further inadequate because it did not reflect the “split-shift” premium, as is required when employees work two or more shifts in a workday with an unpaid break of more than an hour. Workers were not allowed to leave the premises before 2:30 each afternoon when business was closed to the public, and then reported back at 4:30 p.m. for several more hours of work. The investigation also revealed that employers had not kept time records prior to September 1, 2013, or provided staff with itemized wage statements….”

California Labor Commissioner Julie A. Su issued to the owners of a restaurant in Alameda citations totaling $481,813 The citations consisted of civil penalties and wages owed to 13 employees for violation of minimum wage, overtime, and rest period laws. The Labor Commissioner’s joint inspection with the Employment Development Department (EDD) was based on complaints filed in August. The investigation revealed that the cooks, dishwashers, kitchen helpers, and servers employed by Toomie’s Thai Cuisine routinely worked at least 10.5 hours each day, up to 7 days a week.

“The Labor Commissioner is charged with ensuring that employees are paid for all wages they are owed,” affirmed Christine Baker, director of the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR). The Labor Commissioner’s Office, also known as the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE), is a division within the DIR.

Labor Commissioner Su stated, “We want to create a culture of compliance where employers profit by playing by the rules and employers who have concluded that it is cheaper to break the law, that the chances of getting caught are slim, and the costs even if you do get caught are minimal know that those days are over.”

Additional information on labor laws and work-related topics are available on the DIR website at http://www.dir.ca.gov.

For more: http://hr.blr.com/HR-news/Compensation/Wage-and-Hour-Investigations/CA-labor-commissioner-cites-restaurant-481813-for–

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by | October 9, 2013 · 6:00 am

“2014 Hospitality Law Conference” Sponsored By HospitalityLawyer.com On February 10-12 Features Industry Legal, Safety And Security Solutions

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Filed under Conferences, Guest Issues, Injuries, Insurance, Labor Issues, Liability, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Training

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by | October 8, 2013 · 5:45 am

P3 Hospitality Industry Risk Report: “Hotel Power Outage Checklist” Presented By Director Of Risk Management Todd Seiders Of Petra Risk Solutions (Video)

[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/52513104 w=500&h=281]

P3Petra Risk Solutions’ Director of Risk Management, Todd Seiders , offers a P3 Hospitality Risk Report – ‘Hotel Power Outage Checklist’. 

P3 (Petra Plus Process) is the Risk Management Division of Petra Risk Solutions – America’s largest independent insurance brokerage devoted exclusively to the hospitality marketplace.

 For more information on Petra and P3 visit petrarisksolutions.com or call 800.466.8951.

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