Category Archives: Training

by | January 5, 2011 · 6:38 pm

Hospitality Industry Health Insurance: Hotel Owners Should See Benefits In Providing Health Insurance For Employees As Studies Start To Analyze Data

Researchers at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., said they have found that providing health insurance for workers increases job performance.

Researchers conducted a study reviewing six months of job data to see if providing insurance would affect “job anxiety, tardiness, absenteeism and overall task performance,” the university said in a release. They found only task performance was affected, but a parallel study that concerned workers with health insurance that also included mental health insurance showed a slight increase in job tardiness.

“We wanted to take a scientific look at whether having health insurance made a noticeable difference,” said Sean Way, assistant professor at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration and one of the authors of the study, titled “The Impact of Health Insurance on Employee Job Anxiety, Withdrawal Behaviors and Task Performance.”

Way called the study results that showed increased tardiness among workers provided with mental health insurance “puzzling.”

For more:   http://www.upi.com/Business_News/2011/01/05/Insurance-shown-to-help-work-performance/UPI-11801294259532/

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by | December 29, 2010 · 9:13 am

Hospitality Industry Health Issues: Second Annual Federal Bed Bug Summit To Be Held On February 1 and 2, 2011 In Washington DC

Momentum is gathering behind a planned federal summit on bed bug control. Bed bugs are now spreading beyond the nation’s beds. They’ve been found in numerous public spaces, including federal office buildings. The Federal Bed Bug Work Group encompasses several agencies, including the EPA and the departments of Housing and Urban Development, Agriculture, Defense and Commerce. Also, the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The summit will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Georgetown University Hotel and Conference Center  in  Washington DC 

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by | December 26, 2010 · 12:06 pm

Hospitality Industry Guest Health And Safety: Hotel And Spa Owners Must Maintain Clean Workout Facilities, Pools And Spas

Gym Equipment Spreads Skin Infections

  • Staph infections, including those caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria, can spread through shared gym equipment, mats and towels.
  • Infections tend to occur near a cut or scrape, and on certain body parts (the armpits, buttocks, groin and neck).
  • They start off looking like a large pimple but can swell, become painful and produce pus.
  • If they spread to your bloodstream, they can be life-threatening.
  • Many clear up on their own, but seek medical attention if a fever develops or if the area becomes enlarged, red, tender or warm.

Prevention:

  • Use the alcohol spray or wipes that most gyms provide to wipe off equipment before and after use.
  • Place a clean towel over mats used for doing sit-ups, stretching or yoga.
  •  Don’t share towels with others.
  • Wash your hands frequently with soap and water, or use an alcohol-based sanitizer.
  • Shower after working out. If you have a cut or scrape, keep it covered with a clean adhesive bandage and don’t use hot tubs or whirlpools.

Dirty Pools Teaming With Bacteria

  • Poorly maintained swimming pools are common, allowing bacteria and viruses to cause outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness.
  • Inspections at 3,666 health clubs in 13 states found serious lapses requiring the immediate closing of 10 percent of the pools (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  • Improperly maintained circulation and filtering systems and skimpy disinfection were among the most common problems.

Prevention:

  • Require showers with soap before swimming and wash your hands after using the toilet or changing a baby’s diaper.
  • Don’t use the pool if the water has a strong chemical smell or appears cloudy.
  • Pool water should have little odor and be clear enough that you can easily see the bottom.
  • Chlorine and pH levels should be checked at least twice a day, and the pool’s latest inspection score should be recorded.
  • Chlorine should be 1 to 3 parts per million (4 to 6 ppm for hot tubs), and pH should be 7.2 to 7.8.

For more:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/20/AR2010122004711.html?wprss=rss_health

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by | December 23, 2010 · 7:59 am

Hospitality Industry Technology: Hotel Management Must Look To Increase Service To Improve Guest Satisfaction Via Cell Phone Applications Such As “E-Butler”

The E-Butler program is actually a mobile app that is available from the iTunes app store for free.

  • Guests can download it prior to arriving at the hotel and then once they arrive
  • They can start communicating electronically with their butler.
  • The app also features an “Insider’s Guide” from New York’s various personalities such as Vogue’s André Leon Talley, fashion designer Jason Wu, chef Alain Ducasse, architect David Rockwell and the Village Voice’s Michael Musto.
  • They comment their favorite shops, restaurants and city landmarks
  • If the guest wants to book one of these recommendations, they can do so directly through the E-Butler.

While the app is available to all to download, there are some restrictions accessing the butler–namely the app prompts all guests to enter their passcode, name, email and room number.

For more:  http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2010/12/21/17165/533/hotels/ButlerLeaks_Messages_from_the_St_Regis_New_York_s_E_Butler

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by | December 20, 2010 · 6:24 am

Hospitality Industry Guest Room Security: Hotels Are Deploying New Technology For In-Room Guest Security And Satisfaction (Video)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0s1EOY8P__4&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL]

David Heckaman, VP of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, walks us through some of the cool features built into their new Hotel in Las Vegas. the technology is by Control4, Guestlink, Saflok and Axxess. The system adds security, huge Energy savings and provides Guests with the best in-Room experience they can possibly have.

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by | December 17, 2010 · 2:13 am

Hotel Industry Employee Management: Hotel Housekeepers Are “Vital To Success Of Any Hotel” And Refined Practices Will Improve Productivity While Reducing Budget

Housekeeping is vital to the success of any hotel. It will be worth the extra time and attention it takes to refine practices and enhance productivity. Improved housekeeping makes for a tighter overall operation, along with relief to your hotel’s budget.

  • Hire the right housekeepers.  People with certain personality types will not stay and clean rooms for long periods of time – not because they can’t or will do a poor job, but because they get bored. The housekeeping job can be monotonous. Use a personality test of some sort to hire the right people.
  • Have the chemical dispensers checked by your chemical company every time the company is on property. In addition to improving how the chemicals are dispensed, this will allow for cleaner linen as well as less discoloration (in case too much chlorine or other detergent is being used).
  • Combine job responsibilities within the housekeeping department to maximize productivity and avoid downtime.
  • Make sure that time allocated to clean rooms is respected. Be creative with long-term stays – maybe wash linens every three days, and provide a very quick (five-minute) service: change towels, empty trash cans, and move on.
  • Folding within the laundry department can be a time-consuming burden. The trick is to fold as little as possible since a housekeeper will immediately undo the work diligently done by the laundry attendant anyway. Sheets and large items can be laid down flat on a rolling cart and sent to a holding area for the next day.
  • Spend a great deal of time with this important department and become a mentor. A closer collaboration between management and housekeeping will have significant benefits for your hotel.

For more:  http://www.hotelnewsresource.com/article50864.html

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by | December 16, 2010 · 2:41 am

Hospitality Industry Employee Issues: California Hotel And General Manager Sued For “Retaliation For Reporting Sexual Harassment, Defamation And Wrongful Termination”

The Four Seasons’ former lead massage therapist alleged in a recent lawsuit that he was demoted after complaining that the hotel’s general manager was romantically involved with a masseuse and had sought favorable treatment for her.

John B. Henning said he was instructed in August 2009 to make sure that certain massage therapists were not paid more than a masseuse who “was engaging in a romantic relationship” with general manager Thomas Gurtner.

Henning said he refused to comply with the instructions and instead told the hotel’s assistant human resources director that Gurtner was favoring the woman. One month later, Henning alleged, he was demoted and “constructively terminated” from his job. Henning said a supervisor explained that the hotel wanted “to move forward with a more positive team.”

A spokeswoman for the 270-room resort hotel declined to comment.

The lawsuit, filed Friday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, seeks unspecified general and punitive damages, plus legal fees and other costs. It accuses the hotel of retaliation for reporting sexual harassment, defamation and wrongful termination.

For more:  http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/money_co/2010/12/sexual-harassment-four-seasons-hotel-westlake-village-massage-.html

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by | December 14, 2010 · 6:36 am

Hotel Industry Employee Risks: Texas Hotel Owners “Failed To Carry Workers’ Comp Insurance And Enforce Safety Procedures” Says Suit Brought By Banquet Service Employee Who Was Injured On Job

On or about August 13, 2009, Plaintiff suffered an injury to her right shoulder area when a co-worker, Banquet Manager, Gus Garza, suddenly and without warning struck her while opening a door which was intended to be an exit door instead of an entrance door as he was using it,” the suit filed Dec. 7 in Jefferson County District Court states.

She claims the defendant companies — HTL Operating doing business as Elegante Hotel and Investment Corporation of America — did not carry workers’ compensation insurance at the time of the incident. As a result, Howard claims she should be entitled to all common-law damages.

A Beaumont woman has filed suit against the owners of a hotel where she claims she was injured while working as a banquet server. Sharon Howard alleges she was performing her duties as a banquet server at MCM Elegante Hotel in Beaumont on Aug. 13, 2009, when she sustained injuries to her shoulder.

Because of the incident, Howard suffered a severe and permanently disabling injury to her right shoulder and has not been able to work, according to the complaint.

She blames the hotel for causing her injury and for the pain and suffering she endured, as well as the medical costs she incurred.

The hotel’s owners negligently failed to enforce proper safety procedure and failed to properly equip doors, according to the complaint.

In her suit, Howard is seeking a judgment in excess of the minimum jurisdictional limits of Jefferson County District Court, plus pre- and post-judgment interest, costs, attorney’s fees and other relief the court deems just.

John Werner of Reaud, Morgan and Quinn in Beaumont will be representing her.

For more:  http://www.setexasrecord.com/news/231951-hotel-server-sues-over-shoulder-injuries

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by | December 13, 2010 · 9:53 am

Hospitality Industry Employee Risks: Denver Hotel Forced To Pay $105,000 To Settle “Sex Discrimination” Suit Filed By “Equal Employment Opportunity Commission” (EEOC)

The suit alleged that the company denied an employee a promotion because of her gender, and “due to its discriminatory and stereotyped assumptions regarding [the worker’s] ability to do the job because of her status as a woman with young children.”

“Making assumptions about a woman’s ability to perform a job which are not grounded in fact, but instead on stereotyped assumptions about her inability to work long hours due to her child care responsibilities, is unlawful discrimination,” said EEOC Regional Attorney Mary Jo O’Neill.

The owner of Denver’s Brown Palace Hotel & Spa has agreed to pay $105,000 to settle a sex-discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the EEOC announced Wednesday.

The agency filed the suit on July 20 in U.S. District Court in Denver against Brown Palace owner Denver Hotel Management Co. Inc.

Discrimination based on a woman’s caregiver status is a form of sex discrimination prohibited by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the EEOC said.

At the time the suit was filed, Marcel Pitton, the hotel’s managing director, said the agency’s allegations were “unfounded,” and no admission of guilt was announced Wednesday.

“The Brown Palace Hotel is an equal opportunity employer and maintains a workplace free of unlawful discrimination. We are proud of our diverse workforce and the talent of our staff in delivering exceptional hospitality,” Pitton said in a July statement.

According to an EEOC statement, Denver Hotel Management has agreed “to revamp its discrimination policies and conduct training for all of its employees to explain how stereotypes concerning a person’s family responsibilities can constitute illegal sex discrimination.”

Read more: Brown Palace owner settles EEOC suit | Denver Business Journal

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by | December 12, 2010 · 8:19 am

Hotel Pool Safety: Hotel Owners Should Review Designs Of Fountains, Drains And Water Troughs To Prevent Drownings

Hyatt spokesman Pete Hillan says the hotel has emptied the fountain and erected a barrier around the 29-inch-deep trough where the boy was found.

The barrier will serve as a temporary solution, as hotel officials look to permanently change the fountain’s design.

A toddler found floating in a fountain at a downtown hotel suffered life-threatening injuries.

The unidentified boy remains hospitalized, a day after officers pulled him from a decorative fountain at the  Hyatt Regency Hotel and revived him using CPR.

The officers went to the hotel after the 18-month-old boy’s mother reported him missing. Fire officials tell the San Francisco Chronicle the incident appeared to be an accident.

Hyatt spokesman Pete Hillan says the hotel has emptied the fountain and erected a barrier around the 29-inch-deep trough where the boy was found. The trough serves as the fountain’s drain.

For more:  http://www.wsbt.com/news/ktla-fountain-toddler,0,1847787.story

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